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Incentivizing digitalization: CEO compensation and digitalization in China's A-share corporate landscape

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  • Zahid, R.M. Ammar
  • Maqsood, Umer Sahil
  • Hussain, Murtaza
  • Younas, Muhammad Waleed

Abstract

Executives’ compensation structures can strongly affect the ability and readiness of companies to undertake digital transformation (DT) initiatives. This study investigates the intricate dynamics among CEO compensation and DT within Chinese public companies over the period from 2010 to 2023. The analysis identified three principal findings. Firstly, there is a positive association between the CEO paygap and DT, indicating that greater compensation disparities incentivize CEOs to pursue technological advancements. Secondly, managerial shareholding significantly positively moderates this relationship, likely due to the alignment of managerial and shareholder interests. Thirdly, this influence is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises compared to non-state-owned enterprises. This could be due to different governance structures and objectives in state-owned entities. Moreover, government regulations aimed at controlling CEO compensation are found to dampen DT efforts, suggesting that such constraints might hinder digital innovation. Channel analysis reveals agency costs and audit quality as key mediators that help to align the CEOs interests in support of DT. Various methodological approaches, such as instrumental variables (IV) and propensity score matching (PSM), validate the robustness of these results. Findings highlight the need for a balanced approach to CEO compensation and regulation to foster DT. Policymakers should consider the potential unintended consequences of stringent compensation regulations on technological advancement. Companies are encouraged to align managerial incentives with shareholder interests through shareholding schemes to enhance DT efforts. These findings provide a framework for comprehending and managing executive compensation dynamics in the context of digital transformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Zahid, R.M. Ammar & Maqsood, Umer Sahil & Hussain, Murtaza & Younas, Muhammad Waleed, 2025. "Incentivizing digitalization: CEO compensation and digitalization in China's A-share corporate landscape," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:82:y:2025:i:c:s0160791x25000788
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102888
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    Keywords

    CEOs compensation; Pay gap; Digital transformation; State owned enterprises; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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