IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i9p7023-d1129841.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Operating Leverage, Equity Incentive, and Enterprise Research and Development Investment

Author

Listed:
  • Hui Tan

    (School of Economic and Management, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China)

  • Xinhua Zhang

    (School of Economic and Management, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China)

  • Lili Zeng

    (School of Management, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China)

Abstract

Science and technology innovation plays a vital role in the sustainable development of enterprises, and even in the security and sustainable development of a nation. Against the background of China’s structural “deleveraging” macro policy, the following two aspects are considered in this research: First, should operating leverage be removed, and how does it affect the innovation investment of enterprises? Second, what will be the impact of the implementation of equity incentives on the relationship between operating leverage and innovation investment? Using a longitudinal panel dataset of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2020, this study empirically tested the impact and mechanism of operating leverage on enterprise innovation investment. The findings show that operating leverage significantly contributes to an increase in enterprise innovation investment in general, but the positive correlation trend decreases with the increase in operating leverage. The implementation of equity incentives plays a positive role in moderating the relationship between operating leverage and innovation investment. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the promotion effect of operating leverage on innovation investment is significant only in non-state owned enterprises (SOE), and the positive regulating effect of equity incentives in non-SOEs is more significant than that of the overall sample.

Suggested Citation

  • Hui Tan & Xinhua Zhang & Lili Zeng, 2023. "Operating Leverage, Equity Incentive, and Enterprise Research and Development Investment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7023-:d:1129841
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/9/7023/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/9/7023/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W., 1989. "Management entrenchment : The case of manager-specific investments," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 123-139, November.
    2. Hirshleifer, David & Thakor, Anjan V, 1992. "Managerial Conservatism, Project Choice, and Debt," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 5(3), pages 437-470.
    3. Jeremy C. Stein, 1989. "Efficient Capital Markets, Inefficient Firms: A Model of Myopic Corporate Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 104(4), pages 655-669.
    4. Itay Kama & Dan Weiss, 2013. "Do Earnings Targets and Managerial Incentives Affect Sticky Costs?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(1), pages 201-224, March.
    5. Suyi Zheng & Jiandong Wen, 2023. "How Does Firm-Level Economic Policy Uncertainty Affect Corporate Innovation? Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-23, April.
    6. Lev, Baruch, 1974. "On the Association between Operating Leverage and Risk," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(4), pages 627-641, September.
    7. Murphy, Kevin J., 2003. "Stock-based pay in new economy firms," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1-3), pages 129-147, January.
    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. Qi Shi & Shufang Xiao & Kaiwen Chang & Jiaying Wu, 2021. "Stock option, contract elements design and corporate innovation output – an analyse based on risk-taking and performance-based incentives," Nankai Business Review International, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(4), pages 574-598, July.
    10. Alex Edmans & Vivian W. Fang & Katharina A. Lewellen, 2017. "Equity Vesting and Investment," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(7), pages 2229-2271.
    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. Taylan Mavruk & Evert Carlsson, 2015. "How long is a long-term-firm investment in the presence of governance mechanisms?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(1), pages 117-149, June.
    2. Peng, Qiyuan & Yin, Sirui, 2021. "Does the executive labor market discipline? Labor market incentives and earnings management," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 62-86.
    3. Xin Qu & Majella Percy & Fang Hu & Jenny Stewart, 2022. "Can CEO equity‐based compensation limit investment‐related agency problems?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(2), pages 2579-2614, June.
    4. Francis, Bill & Hasan, Iftekhar & Sharma, Zenu, 2011. "Leverage and growth: Effect of stock options," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 63(6), pages 558-581.
    5. Paul Gompers & Joy Ishii & Andrew Metrick, 2003. "Corporate Governance and Equity Prices," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(1), pages 107-156.
    6. Wulung Li & Ramachandran Natarajan & Yan Zhao & Kenneth Zheng, 2021. "The effect of management control mechanisms through risk-taking incentives on asymmetric cost behavior," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 219-243, January.
    7. An, Suwei, 2023. "Essays on incentive contracts, M&As, and firm risk," Other publications TiSEM dd97d2f5-1c9d-47c5-ba62-f, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Martin Nienhaus, 2022. "Executive equity incentives and opportunistic manager behavior: new evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 1276-1318, December.
    9. Rahaman, Mohammad M., 2014. "Do managerial behaviors trigger firm exit? The case of hyperactive bidders," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 92-110.
    10. Xiao, Gang, 2013. "Legal shareholder protection and corporate R&D investment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 240-266.
    11. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2011_019 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Yizhong Wang & Linying Lv & Shanqiao Xia, 2022. "Initial public offering, corporate innovation and total factor productivity: Evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(5), pages 4695-4726, December.
    13. Min Zhang & Wen Zhang & Sheng Zhang, 2016. "National culture and firm investment efficiency: international evidence," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 1-21, March.
    14. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    15. Kong, Xiaoran & Xu, Siping & Liu, Ming-Yu & Ho, Kung-Cheng, 2023. "Confucianism and D&O insurance demand of Chinese listed companies," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    16. González, Maximiliano & Guzmán, Alexander & Pablo, Eduardo & Trujillo, María-Andrea, 2019. "Is board turnover driven by performance in family firms?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 169-186.
    17. González, Maximiliano & Guzmán, Alexander & Pombo, Carlos & Trujillo, María-Andrea, 2012. "Family firms and financial performance: The cost of growing," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 626-649.
    18. Mekhaimer, Mohamed & Abakah, Alex Annan & Ibrahim, Awad & Hussainey, Khaled, 2022. "Subordinate executives' horizon and firm policies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    19. Emmanuel Mamatzakis & Anna Bagntasarian, 2021. "The nexus between CEO incentives and analysts' earnings forecasts," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 6205-6248, October.
    20. Li, Zhaochu & Lytvynenko, Iryna P. & Philippoff, Karl S., 2021. "Stock market reactions to R&D cuts used to manage earnings," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    21. Fu, Xudong & Huang, Minjie & Tang, Tian, 2022. "Duration of executive compensation and maturity structure of corporate debt," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

    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:9:p:7023-:d:1129841. 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.