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How Do Ex Ante Severance Pay Contracts Fit into Optimal Executive Incentive Schemes?

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  • P. RAGHAVENDRA RAU
  • JIN XU

Abstract

We analyze a sample of over 3,600 ex ante explicit severance pay agreements in place at 808 firms and show that firms set ex ante explicit severance pay agreements as one component in managing the optimal level of equity incentives. Younger executives are more likely to receive explicit contracts and better terms. Firms with high distress risk, high takeover probability, and high return volatility are significantly more likely to enter into new or revised severance contracts. Finally, ex post payouts to managers are largely determined by the ex ante contract terms.

Suggested Citation

  • P. Raghavendra Rau & Jin Xu, 2013. "How Do Ex Ante Severance Pay Contracts Fit into Optimal Executive Incentive Schemes?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 631-671, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:51:y:2013:i:3:p:631-671
    DOI: 10.1111/joar.12001
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    3. Xu, Jin & Yang, Jun, 2016. "Golden hellos: Signing bonuses for new top executives," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(1), pages 175-195.
    4. Chen, Tai-Yuan & Zhang, Guochang & Zhou, Yi, 2018. "Enforceability of non-compete covenants, discretionary investments, and financial reporting practices: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 41-60.
    5. Jiang, Yi, 2017. "Managerial incentives in the presence of golden handshakes," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 177-183.
    6. Eitan Moshe Goldman & Peggy Peiju Huang, 2015. "Contractual vs. Actual Separation Pay Following CEO Turnover," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(5), pages 1108-1120, May.
    7. Brown, Kareen & Jha, Ranjini & Pacharn, Parunchana, 2015. "Ex ante CEO severance pay and risk-taking in the financial services sector," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 111-126.
    8. Patricia Boyallian & Pablo Ruiz-Verdú, 2018. "Leverage, CEO Risk-Taking Incentives, and Bank Failure during the 2007–10 Financial Crisis [Endogenous matching and the empirical determinants of contract form]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 22(5), pages 1763-1805.
    9. Stacey Beaumont & Raluca Ratiu & David Reeb & Glenn Boyle & Philip Brown & Alexander Szimayer & Raymond Silva Rosa & David Hillier & Patrick McColgan & Athanasios Tsekeris & Bryan Howieson & Zoltan Ma, 2016. "Comments on Shan and Walter: ‘Towards a Set of Design Principles for Executive Compensation Contracts’," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(4), pages 685-771, December.
    10. Ying L. Compton & Angela K. Gore & Susan L. Kulp, 2017. "Compensation design and political risk: the case of city managers," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 109-140, March.
    11. Gillan, Stuart L. & Nguyen, Nga Q., 2016. "Incentives, termination payments, and CEO contracting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 445-465.
    12. Wang, Wenyu & Wu, Yufeng, 2020. "Managerial control benefits and takeover market efficiency," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(3), pages 857-878.
    13. Fee, C. Edward & Hadlock, Charles J. & Pierce, Joshua R., 2018. "New evidence on managerial labor markets: An analysis of CEO retreads," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 428-441.
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    15. Feng, Yi & Nandy, Debarshi K. & Tian, Yisong S., 2015. "Executive compensation and the corporate spin-off decision," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 94-117.

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