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Excess pay and deficient performance

Author

Listed:
  • Carter, Mary Ellen
  • Li, Lei
  • Marcus, Alan J.
  • Tehranian, Hassan

Abstract

We investigate the link between abnormal CEO compensation and firm performance, asking whether high unexplained compensation relative to several benchmarks is a sign of hard-to-measure but desirable executive attributes or is instead a symptom of unsolved agency problems. We find that abnormally high CEO pay predicts worse future firm performance. Abnormally high compensation that is performance-contingent is a less ominous signal about the future success of the firm. But abnormal levels of even performance-contingent compensation predict worse future performance. We conclude that abnormally high CEO pay can be useful as an independent indicator of agency problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Carter, Mary Ellen & Li, Lei & Marcus, Alan J. & Tehranian, Hassan, 2016. "Excess pay and deficient performance," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-10.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:revfin:v:30:y:2016:i:c:p:1-10
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rfe.2015.08.003
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    3. Sean M. Harkin & Davide S. Mare & Jonathan N. Crook, 2019. "Average pay in banks: do agency problems and bank performance matter?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 101-122, July.
    4. Stephannie A. Larocque & Melissa A. Martin & Beverly R. Walther, 2020. "Are Earnings Forecasts Informed by Proxy Statement Compensation Disclosures?†," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(2), pages 741-772, June.
    5. Sardar Ahmad & Saeed Akbar & Devendra Kodwani & Anwar Halari & Syed Zubair Shah, 2023. "Compliance or non‐compliance during financial crisis: Does it matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 2348-2366, July.
    6. Suveera Gill & Manika Kohli, 2018. "Perceptual Determinants of Executive Compensation: Survey-Based Evidence from India," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 11(2), pages 159-184, December.
    7. Liew, Chee Yoong & Ko, Young Kyung & Song, Bee Lian & Murthy, Saraniah Thechina, 2019. "Directors’ remuneration, expropriation and firm performance in Malaysia: evidence from non-executive directors’ service duration within the remuneration committee," MPRA Paper 99703, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agency problems; Governance; Executive compensation; Abnormal pay;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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