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Outside Employment Opportunities and Tournament Incentives

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  • Feng, Yue
  • De Cesari, Amedeo
  • Stathopoulos, Konstantinos

Abstract

We find that firms enlarge the executive pay gap when executive mobility is constrained by more enforceable noncompete agreements. We interpret this finding as evidence that firms increase tournament incentives to keep executives incentivized after the loss of valuable outside employment options. Consistent with this argument, we observe more significant increases in pay gaps for executives with greater ex ante mobility options. However, shocks reducing enforceability have a weaker, less robust impact on pay gaps, contributing to asymmetric effects. Following restrictions to mobility, equity portfolios that long (short) firms that boost (do not boost) executive pay gaps generate positive alphas.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng, Yue & De Cesari, Amedeo & Stathopoulos, Konstantinos, 2026. "Outside Employment Opportunities and Tournament Incentives," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 61(1), pages 409-440, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:61:y:2026:i:1:p:409-440_12
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