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How Should Performance Signals Affect Contracts?

Author

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  • Pierre Chaigneau
  • Alex Edmans
  • Daniel Gottlieb

Abstract

The informativeness principle states that a contract should depend on informative signals. This paper studies how it should do so. Signals indicating that the output distribution has shifted to the left (e.g., weak industry performance) reduce the threshold for the manager to be paid; those indicating that output is a precise measure of effort (e.g., low volatility) decrease high thresholds and increase low thresholds. Surprisingly, “good” signals of performance need not reduce the threshold. Applying our model to performance-based vesting, we show that performance measures should affect the strike price, rather than the number of vesting options, contrary to practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre Chaigneau & Alex Edmans & Daniel Gottlieb, 2022. "How Should Performance Signals Affect Contracts?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(1), pages 168-206.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rfinst:v:35:y:2022:i:1:p:168-206.
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chaigneau, Pierre & Sahuguet, Nicolas & Sinclair-Desgagné, Bernard, 2017. "Prudence and the convexity of compensation contracts," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 14-16.
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    4. Innes, Robert, 1993. "Debt, Futures and Options: Optimal Price-Linked Financial Contracts under Moral Hazard and Limited Liability," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 34(2), pages 271-295, May.
    5. Hemmer, Thomas & Kim, Oliver & Verrecchia, Robert E., 1999. "Introducing convexity into optimal compensation contracts," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 307-327, December.
    6. Matthews, Steven A., 2001. "Renegotiating Moral Hazard Contracts under Limited Liability and Monotonicity," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 1-29, March.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods

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