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Indexing Executive Compensation Contracts

Author

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  • Ingolf Dittmann
  • Ernst Maug
  • Oliver G. Spalt

Abstract

We analyze the efficiency of indexing executive pay by calibrating the standard compensation model to a large sample of U.S. CEOs. The benefits from indexing the strike price of options are small, and fully indexing all options would increase compensation costs by 50% for most firms. Indexing has several effects with overall ambiguous outcome; the quantitatively most important effect is to reduce incentives, because indexed options pay off when CEOs' marginal utility is low. The results also hold if CEOs can extract rents and extend to the case of indexing shares. Our findings may justify the common practice of "pay-for-luck." The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com., Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Ingolf Dittmann & Ernst Maug & Oliver G. Spalt, 2013. "Indexing Executive Compensation Contracts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(12), pages 3182-3224.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rfinst:v:26:y:2013:i:12:p:3182-3224
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rfs/hht052
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    Cited by:

    1. Cole, John A. & Cadogan, Godfrey, 2014. "Bankruptcy risk induced by career concerns of regulators," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 259-271.
    2. Edmans, Alex & Gottlieb, Daniel & Chaigneau, Pierre, 2014. "The Value of Informativeness for Contracting," CEPR Discussion Papers 10180, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Chaigneau, Pierre & Edmans, Alex & Gottlieb, Daniel, 2018. "Does improved information improve incentives?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(2), pages 291-307.
    4. Miguel Antón & Florian Ederer & Mireia Giné & Martin Schmalz, 2023. "Common Ownership, Competition, and Top Management Incentives," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 131(5), pages 1294-1355.
    5. Merz, Alexander, 2017. "What have we learned from SFAS 123r and IFRS 2? A review of existing evidence and future research suggestions," Journal of Accounting Literature, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 14-33.
    6. Edmans, Alex & Gosling, Tom & Jenter, Dirk, 2023. "CEO compensation: Evidence from the field," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(3).
    7. Wang, Xingchun, 2019. "Valuation of new-designed contracts for catastrophe risk management," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Wang, Guanying & Wang, Xingchun & Shao, Xinjian, 2022. "Exchange options for catastrophe risk management," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    9. Qi Liu & Bo Sun, 2016. "Relative Wealth Concerns, Executive Compensation, and Systemic Risk-Taking," International Finance Discussion Papers 1164, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    10. Wang, Xingchun, 2021. "The values and incentive effects of options on the maximum or the minimum of the stock prices and market index," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    11. repec:oup:rfinst:v:21:y:2017:i:5:p:1805-1846. is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Geys, Benny & Heggedal, Tom-Reiel & Sørensen, Rune J., 2017. "Are bureaucrats paid like CEOs? Performance compensation and turnover of top civil servants," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 47-54.
    13. Zhiwei Su & Xingchun Wang, 2019. "Pricing executive stock options with averaging features under the Heston–Nandi GARCH model," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(9), pages 1056-1084, September.
    14. Ingolf Dittmann & Ko-Chia Yu & Dan Zhang, 2017. "How Important Are Risk-Taking Incentives in Executive Compensation?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 21(5), pages 1805-1846.

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