IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i8p6430-d1119954.html

Strategic Choices for Sustainable Competitive Advantage, Marketization Degree, and the Executive-Employee Compensation Gap

Author

Listed:
  • Changzheng Zhang

    (School of Economics and Management, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

  • Jingjing Liang

    (School of Economics and Management, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710054, China)

Abstract

Responding to the latest demand for strategic human resource management research, the paper investigates the links between the strategic choice of sustainable competitive advantage for firms and the executive-employee compensation gap (EECG), and the moderating role of marketization degree in influencing such links between the two. A balanced panel of data consisting of 3900 annual observations of companies listed in China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share manufacturing industries from 2008 to 2017 is used as the research sample, using SPSS 23.0 and STATA 16.0 software. The paper makes empirical analysis using several methods, including factor analysis, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis based on OLS/2SLS, and fixed effect regression analysis, respectively. The empirical results confirmed that the differentiation strategy had a positive effect on EECG, and the marketization degree would strengthen the positive effect; and that the cost leadership strategy had an inhibitory effect on EECG, and the marketization degree would strengthen the inhibitory effect. Further exploration has found that both differentiation and cost leadership strategies can effectively improve firm performance and enhance sustainable competitive advantage when matched with a moderately higher EECG; the level of participation of female executives in corporate governance would harm the performance consequences of differentiation strategy, while improving the performance consequences of cost leadership strategy.

Suggested Citation

  • Changzheng Zhang & Jingjing Liang, 2023. "Strategic Choices for Sustainable Competitive Advantage, Marketization Degree, and the Executive-Employee Compensation Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-21, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6430-:d:1119954
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6430/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6430/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kin Lee & Baruch Lev & Gillian Yeo, 2008. "Executive pay dispersion, corporate governance, and firm performance," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 315-338, April.
    2. Balsam, Steven & Fernando, Guy D. & Tripathy, Arindam, 2011. "The impact of firm strategy on performance measures used in executive compensation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 187-193, February.
    3. Lucian Arye Bebchuk & Jesse M. Fried & David I. Walker, 2002. "Managerial Power and Rent Extraction in the Design of Executive Compensation," NBER Working Papers 9068, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. 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.
    5. Katalin Takacs Haynes & Amy Hillman, 2010. "The effect of board capital and CEO power on strategic change," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(11), pages 1145-1163, November.
    6. Oh, Won-Yong & Chang, Young Kyun & Jung, Rami, 2018. "Experience-based human capital or fixed paradigm problem? CEO tenure, contextual influences, and corporate social (ir)responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 325-333.
    7. Chen, Chung-Jen & Guo, Ruey-Shan & Hsiao, Yung-Chang & Chen, Kuo-Liang, 2018. "How business strategy in non-financial firms moderates the curvilinear effects of corporate social responsibility and irresponsibility on corporate financial performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 154-167.
    8. Byford, Martin C., 2017. "Moral hazard in strategic decision making," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 114-136.
    9. Linton, Gabriel & Kask, Johan, 2017. "Configurations of entrepreneurial orientation and competitive strategy for high performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 168-176.
    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. Deng, Wenyueyang & Zhang, Zenglian & Guo, Borui, 2024. "Firm-level carbon risk awareness and Green transformation: A research on the motivation and consequences from government regulation and regional development perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

    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. Lee, Gilsoo & Cho, Sam Yul & Arthurs, Jonathan & Lee, Eun Kyung, 2020. "Celebrity CEO, identity threat, and impression management: Impact of celebrity status on corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 69-84.
    2. Hoa Luong & Lien Duong & John Evans, 2022. "CEO pay disparity, takeover premiums and bidder performance in Australia: efficient contracting or managerial power?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 143-179, March.
    3. Steve Sauerwald & Zhiang (John) Lin & Mike W. Peng, 2016. "Board social capital and excess CEO returns," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(3), pages 498-520, March.
    4. Habiba Al‐Shaer & Cemil Kuzey & Ali Uyar & Abdullah S. Karaman, 2024. "Corporate strategy, board composition, and firm value," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(3), pages 3177-3202, July.
    5. Gunasekarage, Abeyratna & Luong, Hoa & Truong, Thanh Tan, 2020. "Growth and market share matrix, CEO power, and firm performance," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    6. Calcagno, R. & Renneboog, L.D.R., 2004. "Capital Structure and Managerial Compensation : The Effects of Renumeration Seniority," Discussion Paper 2004-120, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    7. Li, Bin & Yao, Yao & Shahab, Yasir & Li, Hai-Xia & Ntim, Collins G., 2020. "Parent-subsidiary dispersion and executive excess perks consumption," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    8. Yousaf, Umair Bin & Ullah, Irfan & Jiang, Junchen & Wang, Man, 2022. "The role of board capital in driving green innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    9. Ben Slimane, Faten & Padilla Angulo, Laura, 2019. "Strategic change and corporate governance: Evidence from the stock exchange industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 206-218.
    10. Lucian Arye Bebchuk & Jesse M. Fried, 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 71-92, Summer.
    11. Paul André & Samer Khalil & Michel Magnan, 2012. "The adoption of deferred share unit plans for outside directors: economic and social determinants," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 81-105, February.
    12. Shams, Syed & Bose, Sudipta & Gunasekarage, Abeyratna, 2022. "Does corporate tax avoidance promote managerial empire building?," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1).
    13. Wang, Qiong & Qiu, Muqing, 2023. "Strength in numbers: Minority shareholders' participation and executives' pay-performance sensitivity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Bagh, Tanveer & Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Corbet, Shaen, 2025. "The impact of corporate governance on firm value: Understanding the role of strategic change," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    15. repec:mth:ijafr8:v:8:y:2018:i:2:p:1-25 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Agarwal, Vikas & Daniel, Naveen D. & Naik, Narayan Y., 2009. "Role of managerial incentives and discretion in hedge fund performance," CFR Working Papers 04-04, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    17. Chen, Jie & Song, Wei & Goergen, Marc, 2019. "Passing the dividend baton: The impact of dividend policy on new CEOs' initial compensation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 458-481.
    18. Sheng‐Fu Wu & Chung‐Yi Fang & Wei Chen, 2020. "Corporate governance and stock price crash risk: Evidence from Taiwan," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(7), pages 1312-1326, October.
    19. Chen, Shenglan & Ma, Hui & Wu, Qiang & Zhang, Hao, 2023. "Does common ownership constrain managerial rent extraction? Evidence from insider trading profitability," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    20. Guerini, Mattia & Harting, Philipp & Napoletano, Mauro, 2022. "Governance structure, technical change, and industry competition," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    21. Peter Jaskiewicz & Joern H. Block & James G. Combs & Danny Miller, 2017. "The Effects of Founder and Family Ownership on Hired CEOs’ Incentives and Firm Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(1), pages 73-103, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6430-:d:1119954. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.