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Pay Comparability Across and Within UK Boards: An Empirical Analysis of the Cash Pay Awards to CEOs and Other Board Members

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  • Mahmoud Ezzamel
  • Robert Watson

Abstract

Drawing on the literature on social comparison and equity theories, this paper analyses the determinants of, and the relationships between, the cash pay awards of CEOs and other board members for a sample of large UK companies over the period 1992–95. Our results suggest that external labour market and internal (i.e., within board) pay comparisons are important in explaining both CEO and other directors’ pay awards. In the case of CEOs, however, there is evidence of an asymmetric adjustment to prior period pay anomalies, whereby the pay of the relatively underpaid executives displays significantly greater sensitivity to external market comparison pay levels. This asymmetric adjustment process results in a ‘bidding‐up’ of average CEO pay relative to other board members over the four year period investigated.

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  • Mahmoud Ezzamel & Robert Watson, 2002. "Pay Comparability Across and Within UK Boards: An Empirical Analysis of the Cash Pay Awards to CEOs and Other Board Members," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 207-232, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:39:y:2002:i:2:p:207-232
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-6486.00289
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Eric A. Fong, 2010. "Relative CEO Underpayment and CEO Behaviour Towards R&D Spending," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 1095-1122, September.
    2. Hristos Doucouliagos & Janto Haman & T.D. Stanley, 2012. "Pay for Performance and Corporate Governance Reform," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 670-703, July.
    3. Roberts, John & Sanderson, Paul & Barker, Richard & Hendry, John, 2006. "In the mirror of the market: The disciplinary effects of company/fund manager meetings," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 277-294, April.
    4. Kabir, Rezaul & Minhat, Marizah, 2014. "Compensation consultants and CEO pay," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 172-189.
    5. Aleksandra Gregoric & Saso Polanec & Sergeja Slapnicar, 2008. "Pay me Right: Reference Values and Executive Compensation," LICOS Discussion Papers 22008, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    6. Chen, Jing & Ezzamel, Mahmoud & Cai, Ziming, 2011. "Managerial power theory, tournament theory, and executive pay in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1176-1199, September.
    7. Budsaratragoon, Pornanong & Lhaopadchan, Suntharee & Thomsen, Steen, 2020. "Community and compensation: Director remuneration in Thailand," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    8. Heather Tarbert & Kaihong Tee & Robert Watson, 2008. "The Legitimacy of Pay and Performance Comparisons: An Analysis of UK University Vice Chancellors Pay Awards," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(4), pages 771-805, December.
    9. Suwina Cheng & Michael Firth, 2006. "Family ownership, corporate governance, and top executive compensation," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(7), pages 549-561.

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