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The Governance of Directors' Pay: Evidence from UK Companies

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  • Andrew Benito
  • Martin Conyon

Abstract

We examine the determination of directors' compensation in UK quoted companies between 1985 and 1994. The primary innovation contained in the paper is the focus on the governance mechanisms that determine pay outcomes. Our results indicate that: (i) directors' compensation is positively related to pre-dated shareholder returns and company size with the quantitative effect of the latter dominating the former. (ii) We find that the pay-for-performance link has become quantitatively stronger over our sample period. (iii) There has been positive adherence to the principles of the Cadbury report, but these variables play little statistical role in shaping the direct compensation of top directors. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1999

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Benito & Martin Conyon, 1999. "The Governance of Directors' Pay: Evidence from UK Companies," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 3(2), pages 117-136, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jmgtgv:v:3:y:1999:i:2:p:117-136
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1009995710541
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Manika Kohli, 2017. "How Responsive Executive Compensation is to Corporate Performance? An Indian Perspective," Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, Educational Research Multimedia & Publications,India, vol. 8(2), pages 07-18, May.
    2. Qian Xie, 2013. "Does Delaware Incorporation Encourage Effective Monitoring? An Examination on Director Compensation," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 4(4), pages 26-37, October.
    3. Amon Chizema & Xiaohui Liu & Jiangyong Lu & Lan Gao, 2015. "Politically connected boards and top executive pay in Chinese listed firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(6), pages 890-906, June.
    4. Liu, Lisa Shifei & Stark, Andrew W., 2009. "Relative performance evaluation in board cash compensation: UK empirical evidence," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 21-30.
    5. Theeravanich, Amnaj, 2013. "Director compensation in emerging markets: A case study of Thailand," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 71-91.
    6. Manika Kohli, 2018. "Impact of Ownership Type and Board Characteristics on the Pay–Performance Relationship: Evidence from India," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 11(1), pages 1-34, June.
    7. Hristos Doucouliagos & Janto Haman & T.D. Stanley, 2012. "Pay for Performance and Corporate Governance Reform," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 670-703, July.
    8. Hao Fang & Chieh-Hsuan Wang & Hwey-Yun Yau & Chien-Ping Chung & Yen-Hsien Lee, 2023. "The impact of board structure on bank loan herding via mediation of underperformance," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(6), pages 1494-1517, November.
    9. 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.
    10. Cazavan-Jeny, Anne & Margaine, Julien & Missonier-Piera, Franck, 2008. "CEO compensations in a stakeholders' regime : an empirical investigation with French listed companies," ESSEC Working Papers DR 08015, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    11. Fernandes, Nuno, 2008. "EC: Board compensation and firm performance: The role of "independent" board members," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 30-44, February.

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