IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/blg/journl/v20y2025i2p98-112.html

Ceo Characteristics And Compensation: A Channel Analysis Of U.S. Listed Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Cosmin ENACHE

    (West University of Timişoara, Romania)

  • Claudiu BOȚOC

    (West University of Timişoara, Romania)

  • Sorin Gabriel ANTON

    (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, Romania)

Abstract

The empirical exploration of executive compensation determinants has been a focal point within scholarly inquiry. In this study, we address this gap by analyzing a dataset comprising 1,659 publicly listed U.S. firms spanning from 2006 to 2015. Our investigation draws upon data sourced from Compustat, Execucomp, and BoardEx, encompassing financial indicators, corporate governance metrics, executive compensation data, and CEO background information. Our findings reveal a positive association between director network size, serving as a proxy for "relationship capital," and executive compensation levels. Moreover, we provide empirical evidence for a negative correlation between gender and executive compensation within our U.S. firm sample. Unexpectedly, we observe that neither experience nor age demonstrates statistically significant impacts on executive compensation. Consistent with established literature, our analysis confirms a positive link between accounting performance metrics and executive compensation. Importantly, our empirical findings withstand rigorous tests across various subsamples, econometric methodologies, and CEO compensation variables, bolstering the robustness and reliability of our results. Furthermore, we analyze the possible transmission channels through which the CEO's background enhances executive compensation. Our paper contributes to the extant literature by highlighting the importance of “relationship capital” for executive compensation and the role of transmission channels.

Suggested Citation

  • Cosmin ENACHE & Claudiu BOȚOC & Sorin Gabriel ANTON, 2025. "Ceo Characteristics And Compensation: A Channel Analysis Of U.S. Listed Firms," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 20(2), pages 98-112, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:blg:journl:v:20:y:2025:i:2:p:98-112
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://magazines.ulbsibiu.ro/eccsf/RePEc/blg/journl/20205enache.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bilyay-Erdogan, Seda & Danisman, Gamze Ozturk & Demir, Ender, 2023. "ESG performance and dividend payout: A channel analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).
    2. Bebchuk, Lucian Arye & Fried, Jesse & Walker, David I, 2002. "Managerial Power and Rent Extraction in the Design of Executive Compensation," CEPR Discussion Papers 3558, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    3. Adhikari, Hari P. & Bulmash, Samuel B. & Krolikowski, Marcin W. & Sah, Nilesh B., 2015. "Dynamics of CEO compensation: Old is gold," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 191-206.
    4. Grinstein, Yaniv & Hribar, Paul, 2004. "CEO compensation and incentives: Evidence from M&A bonuses," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 119-143, July.
    5. John R. Graham & Si Li & Jiaping Qiu, 2012. "Managerial Attributes and Executive Compensation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(1), pages 144-186.
    6. Rayna Brown & Ning Gao & Edward Lee & Konstantinos Stathopoulos, 2012. "What Are Friends for? CEO Networks, Pay and Corporate Governance," Springer Books, in: Sabri Boubaker & Bang Dang Nguyen & Duc Khuong Nguyen (ed.), Corporate Governance, edition 127, pages 287-307, Springer.
    7. Hallock, Kevin F., 1997. "Reciprocally Interlocking Boards of Directors and Executive Compensation," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(3), pages 331-344, September.
    8. Marianne Bertrand & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2001. "Are CEOs Rewarded for Luck? The Ones Without Principals Are," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(3), pages 901-932.
    9. Marianne Bertrand & Kevin F. Hallock, 2001. "The Gender Gap in Top Corporate Jobs," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 55(1), pages 3-21, October.
    10. Joanne Horton & Yuval Millo & George Serafeim, 2012. "Resources or Power? Implications of Social Networks on Compensation and Firm Performance," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3-4), pages 399-426, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Godechot, Olivier & Horton, Joanne & Millo, Yuval, 2019. "Structural exchange pays off: Reciprocity in boards and executive compensations in US firms (1990-2015)," MaxPo Discussion Paper Series 19/1, Max Planck Sciences Po Center on Coping with Instability in Market Societies (MaxPo).
    2. Olivier Godechot & Joanne Horton & Yuval Millo, 2022. "Executive Pay: Board Reciprocity Counts," Post-Print hal-03924965, HAL.
    3. Stefan Winter & Philip Michels, 2019. "The managerial power approach: Is it testable?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 23(3), pages 637-668, September.
    4. Novak, Jiri & Bilinski, Pawel, 2018. "Social stigma and executive compensation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 169-184.
    5. Shi, Lina & Gong, Stephen & Wang, Xingang, 2021. "Social network, corporate governance, and rent extraction in CEO compensation: Evidence from spatial econometric models," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(4).
    6. Goergen, Marc & Manjon, Miguel C. & Renneboog, Luc, 2008. "Recent developments in German corporate governance," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 175-193, September.
    7. Lalanne, Marie & Seabright, Paul, 2016. "The old boy network: The impact of professional networks on remuneration in top executive jobs," SAFE Working Paper Series 123, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    8. Lucian Arye Bebchuk & Jesse M. Fried, 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 71-92, Summer.
    9. Ahmed, Shaker & Ranta, Mikko & Vähämaa, Emilia & Vähämaa, Sami, 2023. "Facial attractiveness and CEO compensation: Evidence from the banking industry," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    10. Inder K. Khurana & Hoyoun Kyung, 2021. "Internal control material weakness and CEO recruitment," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(9-10), pages 1940-1987, October.
    11. Hoi, Chun Keung(Stan) & Wu, Qiang & Zhang, Hao, 2019. "Does social capital mitigate agency problems? Evidence from Chief Executive Officer (CEO) compensation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(2), pages 498-519.
    12. Bugeja, Martin & Matolcsy, Zoltan P. & Spiropoulos, Helen, 2012. "Is there a gender gap in CEO compensation?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 849-859.
    13. Hoa Luong & Lien Duong & John Evans, 2022. "CEO pay disparity, takeover premiums and bidder performance in Australia: efficient contracting or managerial power?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 143-179, March.
    14. Guo, Xiaohu & Gupta, Vishal K. & Jackson, William E. & Mortal, Sandra C., 2021. "Is there a racial gap in CEO compensation?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    15. Jongmoo Jay Choi & Omer F. Genc & Ming Ju, 2020. "Is an M&A self‐dealing? Evidence on international and domestic acquisitions and CEO compensation," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(9-10), pages 1290-1315, October.
    16. Page, T. Beau, 2018. "CEO attributes, compensation, and firm value: Evidence from a structural estimation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(2), pages 378-401.
    17. Goh, Lisa & Gupta, Aditi, 2016. "Remuneration of non-executive directors: Evidence from the UK," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 379-399.
    18. Liu, Yun & Nanda, Vikram & Onal, Bunyamin & Silveri, Sabatino, 2021. "Employment mobility and pay for sector performance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    19. Liang, Hao & Renneboog, Luc & Sun, Sunny Li, 2015. "The political determinants of executive compensation: Evidence from an emerging economy," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 69-91.
    20. Claudine Salgado & Guilherme Schneider & Cristiano M. Costa, 2022. "Does board interlock affect CEO compensation? Evidence from companies listed in the Brazilian stock exchange," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 444-465, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:blg:journl:v:20:y:2025:i:2:p:98-112. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Mihaela Herciu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/feulbro.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.