IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v79y2025ics0275531925003216.html

CEO narcissism and dividend policy

Author

Listed:
  • Park, Moon Deok
  • Han, Seung Hun
  • Song, Chanhoo

Abstract

This study examines the effect of CEO narcissism on dividend policies. The results indicate that firms with highly narcissistic CEOs pay higher dividends. Additional analyses using cash flow and CEO pay slice reveal that this tendency is less likely to be driven by signaling motivation. However, using tangibility and bid-ask spread, we observe that this tendency is to mitigate agency conflicts by disciplining managerial opportunism and incentivizing CEOs to prioritize shareholders’ interests. This study contributes to literature by linking a firm’s major strategy to its CEO characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Park, Moon Deok & Han, Seung Hun & Song, Chanhoo, 2025. "CEO narcissism and dividend policy," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:79:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925003216
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.103065
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531925003216
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.103065?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stulz, ReneM., 1990. "Managerial discretion and optimal financing policies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 3-27, July.
    2. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    3. Bushman, Robert & Chen, Qi & Engel, Ellen & Smith, Abbie, 2004. "Financial accounting information, organizational complexity and corporate governance systems," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 167-201, June.
    4. Glosten, Lawrence R. & Milgrom, Paul R., 1985. "Bid, ask and transaction prices in a specialist market with heterogeneously informed traders," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 71-100, March.
    5. Pettit, R Richardson, 1972. "Dividend Announcements, Security Performance, and Capital Market Efficiency," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 27(5), pages 993-1007, December.
    6. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐de‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 2000. "Agency Problems and Dividend Policies around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(1), pages 1-33, February.
    7. Boulton, Thomas J. & Campbell, T. Colin, 2016. "Managerial confidence and initial public offerings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 375-392.
    8. Malmendier, Ulrike & Tate, Geoffrey, 2008. "Who makes acquisitions? CEO overconfidence and the market's reaction," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 20-43, July.
    9. Faulkner, Matthew & García-Feijóo, Luis, 2022. "Hot-Stove Effects: The Impact of CEO Past Corporate Experiences on Dividend Policy," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(5), pages 1695-1726, August.
    10. Agrawal, Anup & Knoeber, Charles R., 1996. "Firm Performance and Mechanisms to Control Agency Problems between Managers and Shareholders," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(3), pages 377-397, September.
    11. 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.
    12. Ronald C. Lease, & Kose John, & Avner Kalay, & Uri Loewenstein, & Oded H. Sarig,, 1999. "Dividend Policy:: Its Impact on Firm Value," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780875844978.
    13. Harris, Milton & Raviv, Artur, 1991. "The Theory of Capital Structure," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(1), pages 297-355, March.
    14. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    15. Kilincarslan, Erhan, 2021. "Smoothed or not smoothed: The impact of the 2008 global financial crisis on dividend stability in the UK," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    16. DeAngelo, Harry & DeAngelo, Linda & Stulz, Rene M., 2006. "Dividend policy and the earned/contributed capital mix: a test of the life-cycle theory," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 227-254, August.
    17. Chintrakarn, Pandej & Chatjuthamard, Pattanaporn & Tong, Shenghui & Jiraporn, Pornsit, 2018. "How do powerful CEOs view dividends and stock repurchases? Evidence from the CEO pay slice (CPS)," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 49-64.
    18. Easterbrook, Frank H, 1984. "Two Agency-Cost Explanations of Dividends," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 650-659, September.
    19. Caliskan, Deren & Doukas, John A., 2015. "CEO risk preferences and dividend policy decisions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 18-42.
    20. Alli, Kasim L & Khan, A Qayyum & Ramirez, Gabriel G, 1993. "Determinants of Corporate Dividend Policy: A Factorial Analysis," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 28(4), pages 523-547, November.
    21. Sudipto Bhattacharya, 1979. "Imperfect Information, Dividend Policy, and "The Bird in the Hand" Fallacy," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 10(1), pages 259-270, Spring.
    22. Farshid Abdi & Angelo Ranaldo, 2017. "A Simple Estimation of Bid-Ask Spreads from Daily Close, High, and Low Prices," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(12), pages 4437-4480.
    23. Benlemlih, Mohammed, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility and dividend policy," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 114-138.
    24. Aabo, Tom & Jacobsen, Mikkel Lilholt & Stendys, Kasper, 2022. "Pay me with fame, not mammon: CEO narcissism, compensation, and media coverage," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    25. Anup Agrawal & Charles R. Knoeber, "undated". "Firm Performance and Mechanisms to Control Agency Problems between Managers and Shareholders (Revision of 29-94)," Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research Working Papers 8-96, Wharton School Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research.
    26. Chen, Yangyang & Podolski, Edward J. & Veeraraghavan, Madhu, 2015. "Does managerial ability facilitate corporate innovative success?," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 313-326.
    27. Ayed, Sabrine & Ben-Amar, Walid & Arouri, Mohamed, 2024. "Climate policy uncertainty and corporate dividends," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    28. Aktas, Nihat & de Bodt, Eric & Bollaert, Helen & Roll, Richard, 2016. "CEO Narcissism and the Takeover Process: From Private Initiation to Deal Completion," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 51(1), pages 113-137, February.
    29. John S. Howe & Ji‐Chai Lin, 1992. "Dividend Policy And The Bid‐Ask Spread: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, March.
    30. Kim, J.H. John & Anderson, Ronald, 2024. "CEO narcissism and the agency cost of debt," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    31. Glosten, Lawrence R. & Harris, Lawrence E., 1988. "Estimating the components of the bid/ask spread," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 123-142, May.
    32. Deshmukh, Sanjay & Goel, Anand M. & Howe, Keith M., 2013. "CEO overconfidence and dividend policy," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 440-463.
    33. Francesco Capalbo & Alex Frino & Ming Ying Lim & Vito Mollica & Riccardo Palumbo, 2018. "The Impact of CEO Narcissism on Earnings Management," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 54(2), pages 210-226, June.
    34. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 2008. "Theory of the firm: managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 48(2), April.
    35. David Hirshleifer & Angie Low & Siew Hong Teoh, 2012. "Are Overconfident CEOs Better Innovators?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(4), pages 1457-1498, August.
    36. Oleg V. Petrenko & Federico Aime & Jason Ridge & Aaron Hill, 2016. "Corporate social responsibility or CEO narcissism? CSR motivations and organizational performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 262-279, February.
    37. Chung, Kee H. & Zhang, Hao, 2014. "A simple approximation of intraday spreads using daily data," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 94-120.
    38. Sheikh, Shahbaz, 2022. "CEO power and the likelihood of paying dividends: Effect of profitability and cash flow volatility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    39. Charles Ham & Nicholas Seybert & Sean Wang, 2018. "Narcissism is a bad sign: CEO signature size, investment, and performance," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 234-264, March.
    40. Leland, Hayne E & Pyle, David H, 1977. "Informational Asymmetries, Financial Structure, and Financial Intermediation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(2), pages 371-387, May.
    41. Pankaj C. Patel & Danielle Cooper, 2014. "The harder they fall, the faster they rise: Approach and avoidance focus in narcissistic CEOs," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(10), pages 1528-1540, October.
    42. Barros, Victor & Guedes, Maria João & Santos, Pedro & Sarmento, Joaquim Miranda, 2022. "Does CEO turnover influence dividend policy?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    43. Vera Oktari & Wiwiek Dianawati, 2023. "Dividend policy, CEO Narcissism, and its influence on companies in Indonesia: A Behavioral Theory of the Firm approach," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 2276560-227, October.
    44. Aabo, Tom & Kirch, Theodor Roe & Thomsen, Katrine Høj Stadil, 2024. "Give me uncertainty, and I will shine: CEO narcissism and corporate performance," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    45. Mei Feng & Weili Ge & Zhejia Ling & Wei Ting Loh, 2024. "Prosocial CEOs, corporate policies, and firm value," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 1854-1903, June.
    46. Yi Tang & Daniel Z. Mack & Guoli Chen, 2018. "The differential effects of CEO narcissism and hubris on corporate social responsibility," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(5), pages 1370-1387, May.
    47. Gustavo Grullon & Roni Michaely & Bhaskaran Swaminathan, 2002. "Are Dividend Changes a Sign of Firm Maturity?," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 75(3), pages 387-424, July.
    48. Jiang, Cheng & John, Kose & Kim, J.H. John & Zhang, Jingyu, 2025. "CEOs' narcissism and opportunistic insider trading," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    49. Shane A. Corwin & Paul Schultz, 2012. "A Simple Way to Estimate Bid‐Ask Spreads from Daily High and Low Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 67(2), pages 719-760, April.
    50. Joseph S. Harrison & Gary R. Thurgood & Steven Boivie & Michael D. Pfarrer, 2019. "Measuring CEO personality: Developing, validating, and testing a linguistic tool," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(8), pages 1316-1330, August.
    51. Michael S. Rozeff, 1982. "Growth, Beta And Agency Costs As Determinants Of Dividend Payout Ratios," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 5(3), pages 249-259, September.
    52. Anup Agrawal & Charles R. Knoeber, "undated". "Firm Performance and Mechanisms to Control Agency Problems between Managers and Shareholders (Revision of 29-94)," Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research Working Papers 08-96, Wharton School Rodney L. White Center for Financial Research.
    53. Pornsit Jiraporn & Veeranuch Leelalai & Shenghui Tong, 2016. "The effect of managerial ability on dividend policy: how do talented managers view dividend payouts?," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(12), pages 857-862, August.
    54. Stulz, ReneM. & Johnson, Herb, 1985. "An analysis of secured debt," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 501-521, December.
    55. Aabo, Tom & Hanousek, Jan & Pantzalis, Christos & Park, Jung Chul, 2023. "CEO personality traits and corporate value implication of acquisitions," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 86-106.
    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. Hussein Abedi Shamsabadi & Byung-Seong Min & Richard Chung, 2016. "Corporate governance and dividend strategy: lessons from Australia," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 583-610, October.
    2. James, Hui & Benson, Bradley W. & Wu, Chen (Ken), 2017. "Does CEO ownership affect payout policy? Evidence from using CEO scaled wealth-performance sensitivity," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 328-345.
    3. Paul McGuinness & Kevin Lam & João Vieito, 2015. "Gender and other major board characteristics in China: Explaining corporate dividend policy and governance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 989-1038, December.
    4. Hui Liang James & Hongxia Wang, 2021. "Independent director tenure and dividends," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(5-6), pages 1057-1091, May.
    5. Jabbouri, Imad, 2016. "Determinants of corporate dividend policy in emerging markets: Evidence from MENA stock markets," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 283-298.
    6. Liu, Chunyan & Uchida, Konari & Yang, Yufeng, 2014. "Controlling shareholder, split-share structure reform and cash dividend payments in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 339-357.
    7. Lukas Setia‐Atmaja & George A. Tanewski & Michael Skully, 2009. "The Role of Dividends, Debt and Board Structure in the Governance of Family Controlled Firms," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(7‐8), pages 863-898, September.
    8. Stereńczak, Szymon & Kubiak, Jarosław, 2022. "Dividend policy and stock liquidity: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    9. Danso, Albert & Lartey, Theophilus & Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Adomako, Samuel & Lu, Qinye & Uddin, Moshfique, 2019. "Market sentiment and firm investment decision-making," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    10. Mehmet Levent Erdaş & Emel Bachá Sımoes, 2020. "The Relationship between Audit Mechanisms and Dividend Payout Policy within the Framework of Corporate Governance: The Case of Turkey," Journal of Economy Culture and Society, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 62(62), pages 255-284, December.
    11. Mehmet Levent Erdaş & Emel Bachá Sımoes, 2020. "The Relationship between Audit Mechanisms and Dividend Payout Policy within the Framework of Corporate Governance: The Case of Turkey," Journal of Economy Culture and Society, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 62(0), pages 255-284, December.
    12. Sheikh, Shahbaz, 2022. "CEO power and the likelihood of paying dividends: Effect of profitability and cash flow volatility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    13. Basharat Khan & Qiujun Zhao & Amjad Iqbal & Irfan Ullah & Shahab Aziz, 2022. "Internal Dynamics of Dividend Policy in East-Asia: A Comparative Study of Japan and South Korea," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, April.
    14. Nilakshi Borah & Hui Liang James & Jung Chul Park, 2020. "Does CEO inside debt compensation benefit both shareholders and debtholders?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 159-203, January.
    15. Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Uddin, Mohammad Riaz, 2022. "Do intangibles matter for corporate policies? Evidence from organization capital and corporate payout choices," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    16. Darakhshan Younis & Attiya Yasmin Javid, 2014. "Market Imperfections and Dividend Policy Decisions of Manufacturing Sector of Pakistan," PIDE-Working Papers 2014:99, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    17. Paul Tanyi & David B. Smith & Xiaoyan Cheng, 2021. "Does firm payout policy affect shareholders’ dissatisfaction with directors?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 279-320, July.
    18. H. Kent Baker & Erhan Kilincarslan & Sercan Demiralay, 2025. "A zero cash dividend policy: the UK experience," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 837-883, August.
    19. Schmid, Thomas & Ampenberger, Markus & Kaserer, Christoph & Achleitner, Ann-Kristin, 2010. "Controlling shareholders and payout policy: do founding families have a special 'taste for dividends'?," CEFS Working Paper Series 2010-01, Technische Universität München (TUM), Center for Entrepreneurial and Financial Studies (CEFS).
    20. Anwar Boumosleh & Brandon Cline, 2015. "Outside Director Stock Options and Dividend Policy," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 47(3), pages 381-410, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets

    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:eee:riibaf:v:79:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925003216. 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: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ribaf .

    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.