IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jiaata/v21y2012i2p106-126.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Executive compensation and goodwill recognition under IFRS: Evidence from European mergers

Author

Listed:
  • Detzen, Dominic
  • Zülch, Henning

Abstract

Based on principal agent theory we posit that managers account for a business combination opportunistically by recognizing goodwill in excess of its economic determinants. We examine the relationship between CEOs’ short-term cash bonuses and the amount of goodwill recognized in IFRS acquisitions. We find that with increasing cash bonus intensity managers recognize more goodwill. More detailed analysis indicates that this relationship is not a linear one. Instead, there seems to be a corridor in which CEOs are susceptible to the incentive given by bonus payments. In particular, the relationship seems to be fulfilled only for CEOs whose cash bonus is between 150% and 200% of their base salary prior to the acquisition. Our findings have an implication for companies that bonus caps should be introduced to limit CEOs’ bonuses to a given percentage of their base salary. By doing so, they may re-align shareholders’ and managers’ interests and avoid an increased impairment risk in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Detzen, Dominic & Zülch, Henning, 2012. "Executive compensation and goodwill recognition under IFRS: Evidence from European mergers," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 106-126.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jiaata:v:21:y:2012:i:2:p:106-126
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intaccaudtax.2012.07.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1061951812000183
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.intaccaudtax.2012.07.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Evans, JH & Sridhar, S, 1996. "Multiple control systems, accrual accounting, and earnings management," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 45-65.
    2. Roll, Richard, 1986. "The Hubris Hypothesis of Corporate Takeovers," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(2), pages 197-216, April.
    3. Bradley, Michael & Desai, Anand & Kim, E. Han, 1988. "Synergistic gains from corporate acquisitions and their division between the stockholders of target and acquiring firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 3-40, May.
    4. Morck, Randall & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1990. "Do Managerial Objectives Drive Bad Acquisitions?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(1), pages 31-48, March.
    5. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    6. Anne Beatty & Joseph Weber, 2006. "Accounting Discretion in Fair Value Estimates: An Examination of SFAS 142 Goodwill Impairments," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 257-288, May.
    7. Ramanna, Karthik, 2008. "The implications of unverifiable fair-value accounting: Evidence from the political economy of goodwill accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 253-281, August.
    8. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    9. Gaver, Jennifer J. & Gaver, Kenneth M. & Austin, Jeffrey R., 1995. "Additional evidence on bonus plans and income management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 3-28, February.
    10. Mattias Hamberg & Mari Paananen & Jiri Novak, 2011. "The Adoption of IFRS 3: The Effects of Managerial Discretion and Stock Market Reactions," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 263-288.
    11. Lang, Mark & Smith Raedy, Jana & Wilson, Wendy, 2006. "Earnings management and cross listing: Are reconciled earnings comparable to US earnings?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 255-283, October.
    12. Ely, Km, 1991. "Interindustry Differences In The Relation Between Compensation And Firm Performance Variables," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 37-58.
    13. Benston, George J., 1985. "The self-serving management hypothesis : Some evidence," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(1-3), pages 67-84, April.
    14. Leuz, Christian & Nanda, Dhananjay & Wysocki, Peter D., 2003. "Earnings management and investor protection: an international comparison," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 505-527, September.
    15. Steven Balsam, 1998. "Discretionary Accounting Choices and CEO Compensation," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 229-252, September.
    16. Holthausen, Robert W. & Larcker, David F. & Sloan, Richard G., 1995. "Annual bonus schemes and the manipulation of earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 29-74, February.
    17. Christopher S. Armstrong & Alan D. Jagolinzer & David F. Larcker, 2010. "Chief Executive Officer Equity Incentives and Accounting Irregularities," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 225-271, May.
    18. Wayne Landsman, 2007. "Is fair value accounting information relevant and reliable? Evidence from capital market research," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(S1), pages 19-30.
    19. Fields, Thomas D. & Lys, Thomas Z. & Vincent, Linda, 2001. "Empirical research on accounting choice," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 255-307, September.
    20. Healy, Paul M. & Kang, Sok-Hyon & Palepu, Krishna G., 1987. "The effect of accounting procedure changes on CEOs' cash salary and bonus compensation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 7-34, April.
    21. Fama, Eugene F, 1980. "Agency Problems and the Theory of the Firm," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(2), pages 288-307, April.
    22. Christian Leuz, 2010. "Different approaches to corporate reporting regulation: How jurisdictions differ and why," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 229-256.
    23. Holthausen, Robert W. & Leftwich, Richard W., 1983. "The economic consequences of accounting choice implications of costly contracting and monitoring," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 77-117, April.
    24. Gjesdal, F, 1981. "Accounting For Stewardship," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 208-231.
    25. Anil Arya & Jonathan Glover & Brian Mittendorf, 2007. "Aligning Incentives by Capping Bonuses," Springer Books, in: Rick Antle & Frøystein Gjesdal & Pierre Jinghong Liang (ed.), Essays in Accounting Theory in Honour of Joel S. Demski, chapter 0, pages 169-182, Springer.
    26. Healy, Paul M., 1985. "The effect of bonus schemes on accounting decisions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(1-3), pages 85-107, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Roncagliolo, Elisa & Avallone, Francesco, 2022. "Recognition of provisional goodwill: Real need or communication strategy?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    2. Ann Tarca, 2020. "The IASB and Comparability of International Financial Reporting: Research Evidence and Implications," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 30(4), pages 231-242, December.
    3. Xu, Lingjuan & Zhang, Bindan & Huynh, Luu Duc Toan & Dai, Peng-Fei, 2024. "Related party M&A, goodwill impairment and stock price crash risk: Evidence from Chinese capital market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PC).
    4. Alain Schatt & Leonidas Doukakis & Corinne Bessieux-Ollier & Elisabeth Walliser, 2016. "Do Goodwill Impairments by European Firms Provide Useful Information to Investors?," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 307-327, September.
    5. Runesson, Emmeli & Samani, Niuosha, 2023. "Goodwill or “No-will”: Hubris in the tone at the top," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(1).
    6. Wu, Kai & Lai, Seiwai, 2020. "Intangible intensity and stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    7. Bikki Jaggi & Alessandra Allini & Raffaela Casciello & Fiorenza Meucci, 2022. "Firm life cycle stages and earnings management," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1019-1049, October.
    8. Carla Carvalho & Ana Maria Rodrigues & Carlos Ferreira, 2016. "The Recognition of Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets in Business Combinations – The Portuguese Case," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 26(1), pages 4-20, March.
    9. d'Arcy, Anne & Tarca, Ann, 2018. "Reviewing IFRS Goodwill Accounting Research: Implementation Effects and Cross-Country Differences," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 203-226.
    10. Agyei-Boapeah, Henry & Ntim, Collins G. & Fosu, Samuel, 2019. "Governance structures and the compensation of powerful corporate leaders in financial firms during M&As," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    11. Wolfgang Ballwieser, 2020. "International Valuation Standards (IVS) – Bedarf, Reichweite, Würdigung, diskutiert anhand der Bewertung von Unternehmen und Goodwill [International Valuation Standards (IVS)—Demand, Range, Critica," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 72(1), pages 71-94, March.

    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. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    2. Bushman, Robert M. & Smith, Abbie J., 2001. "Financial accounting information and corporate governance," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1-3), pages 237-333, December.
    3. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Guay, Wayne R. & Weber, Joseph P., 2010. "The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance and debt contracting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 179-234, December.
    4. Jorge Farinha & Luis Filipe Viana, 2006. "Board structure and modified audit opinions: the case of the Portuguese Stock Exchange," CEF.UP Working Papers 0609, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    5. Godsell, David & Huang, Kelly & Lao, Brent, 2023. "Managers’ rank & file employee coordination costs and real activities manipulation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    6. Luc Renneboog & Peter G. Szilagyi, 2008. "Corporate Restructuring and Bondholder Wealth," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 14(4), pages 792-819, September.
    7. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    8. Bum†Jin Park, 2017. "Auditors’ Economic Incentives and the Sensitivity of Managerial Pay to Accounting Performance," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 27(4), pages 382-399, December.
    9. Aljughaiman, Abdullah A. & Nguyen, Tam Huy & Trinh, Vu Quang & Du, Anqi, 2023. "The Covid-19 outbreak, corporate financial distress and earnings management," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    10. Alain Schatt & Leonidas Doukakis & Corinne Bessieux-Ollier & Elisabeth Walliser, 2016. "Do Goodwill Impairments by European Firms Provide Useful Information to Investors?," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 307-327, September.
    11. Bange, Mary M. & De Bondt, Werner F. M., 1998. "R&D budgets and corporate earnings targets," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 153-184, June.
    12. Zhijun Lin & Ming Liu & Carlos Noronha, 2016. "The Impact of Corporate Governance on Informative Earnings Management in the Chinese Market," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(3), pages 568-609, September.
    13. Georgios Voulgaris & Konstantinos Stathopoulos & Martin Walker, 2015. "CEO Pay Contracts and IFRS Reconciliations," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 63-93, May.
    14. Szilagyi, P.G., 2007. "Corporate governance and the agency costs of debt and outside equity," Other publications TiSEM 9520d40a-224f-43a8-9bf9-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    15. Harakeh, Mostafa & El-Gammal, Walid & Matar, Ghida, 2019. "Female directors, earnings management, and CEO incentive compensation: UK evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 153-170.
    16. Paugam, Luc, 2011. "Valorisation et reporting du goodwill : enjeux théoriques et empiriques," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/8007 edited by Casta, Jean-François.
    17. Carola Frydman & Dirk Jenter, 2010. "CEO Compensation," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 2(1), pages 75-102, December.
    18. Antonios Antoniou & Philippe Arbour & Huainan Zhao, 2008. "How Much Is Too Much: Are Merger Premiums Too High?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 14(2), pages 268-287, March.
    19. Inès Bouden & Luc Paugam & Olivier J. Ramond, 2011. "Les déterminants de la dépréciation du goodwill : proposition d'un cadre d'analyse," Post-Print hal-00646810, HAL.
    20. Jullavut Kittiakaraskun & Yiuman Tse & George H.K. Wang, 2011. "The Impact of Trading Activity by Trader Types on Asymmetric Volatility in Nasdaq-100 Index Futures," Working Papers 0021, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.

    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:eee:jiaata:v:21:y:2012:i:2:p:106-126. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-international-accounting-auditing-and-taxation .

    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.