IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/usm/journl/aamjaf00811_13-37.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Executive Compensation, Earnings Management and Over Investment in Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Ei Yet Chu

    (Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang)

  • Saw Imm Song

    (Universiti Teknologi Mara, 13500 Pulau Pinang)

Abstract

The study investigates the inter-relationship between executive compensation, earnings management and over investment. Using a sample of 196 Malaysian public listed firms, the findings show a positive endogenous relationship between executive compensation and over investment. Measuring equity compensation in incentive ratio, for each percent of over investment, one percent improvement in share prices will increase 23% of executive directors' equity value. Over investment, however, leads to a decline in executive directors' equity value in large shareholders controlled firms. In addition, one percent of over investment can explain 12% of earnings management. Nevertheless, earnings management does not explain executive directors' compensation. In summary, aligning over-investment with executive compensation schemes has implied that the existing compensation is insufficient for executive directors to align their interest with the objective to maximise shareholders' value.

Suggested Citation

  • Ei Yet Chu & Saw Imm Song, 2012. "Executive Compensation, Earnings Management and Over Investment in Malaysia," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 8(Supp. 1), pages 13-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:usm:journl:aamjaf00811_13-37
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://web.usm.my/journal/aamjaf/vol%208-s1-2012/8-s1-2.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Claessens, Stijn & Djankov, Simeon & Fan, Joseph P. H. & Lang, Larry H. P., 2003. "When does corporate diversification matter to productivity and performance? Evidence from East Asia," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 365-392, July.
    2. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    3. Bergstresser, Daniel & Philippon, Thomas, 2006. "CEO incentives and earnings management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 511-529, June.
    4. Nancy L. Rose & Andrea Shepard, 1997. "Firm Diversification and CEO Compensation: Managerial Ability or Executive Entrenchment?," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 28(3), pages 489-514, Autumn.
    5. Stewart C. Myers & Nicholas S. Majluf, 1984. "Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions When Firms Have InformationThat Investors Do Not Have," NBER Working Papers 1396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Smith, Clifford Jr. & Watts, Ross L., 1992. "The investment opportunity set and corporate financing, dividend, and compensation policies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 263-292, December.
    7. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R. & Rajgopal, Shiva, 2005. "The economic implications of corporate financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-3), pages 3-73, December.
    8. Stein, Jeremy C, 1996. "Rational Capital Budgeting in an Irrational World," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69(4), pages 429-455, October.
    9. Pierre Jinghong Liang, 2004. "Equilibrium Earnings Management, Incentive Contracts, and Accounting Standards," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(3), pages 685-718, September.
    10. Subramanyam, K. R., 1996. "The pricing of discretionary accruals," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1-3), pages 249-281, October.
    11. Goergen, Marc & Renneboog, Luc, 2011. "Managerial compensation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1068-1077, September.
    12. Stulz, ReneM., 1990. "Managerial discretion and optimal financing policies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 3-27, July.
    13. Mehran, Hamid, 1995. "Executive compensation structure, ownership, and firm performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 163-184, June.
    14. Cornett, Marcia Millon & Marcus, Alan J. & Tehranian, Hassan, 2008. "Corporate governance and pay-for-performance: The impact of earnings management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 357-373, February.
    15. Alex Edmans & Xavier Gabaix, 2009. "Is CEO Pay Really Inefficient? A Survey of New Optimal Contracting Theories," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 15(3), pages 486-496, June.
    16. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    17. Leuz, Christian & Nanda, Dhananjay & Wysocki, Peter D., 2003. "Earnings management and investor protection: an international comparison," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 505-527, September.
    18. Jensen, Michael C & Murphy, Kevin J, 1990. "Performance Pay and Top-Management Incentives," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(2), pages 225-264, April.
    19. Fan, Joseph P. H. & Wong, T. J., 2002. "Corporate ownership structure and the informativeness of accounting earnings in East Asia," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 401-425, August.
    20. Chee Lim & Tiong Thong & David Ding, 2008. "Firm diversification and earnings management: evidence from seasoned equity offerings," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 69-92, January.
    21. Benjamin E. Hermalin & Michael S. Weisbach, 2003. "Boards of directors as an endogenously determined institution: a survey of the economic literature," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, vol. 9(Apr), pages 7-26.
    22. Bebchuk, Lucian A. & Fried, Jesse M., 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics, Working Paper Series qt81q3136r, Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics.
    23. 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.
    24. Demsetz, Harold & Lehn, Kenneth, 1985. "The Structure of Corporate Ownership: Causes and Consequences," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(6), pages 1155-1177, December.
    25. Sok-Hyon Kang & Praveen Kumar & Hyunkoo Lee, 2006. "Agency and Corporate Investment: The Role of Executive Compensation and Corporate Governance," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 79(3), pages 1127-1148, May.
    26. Dahya, Jay & Dimitrov, Orlin & McConnell, John J., 2008. "Dominant shareholders, corporate boards, and corporate value: A cross-country analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 73-100, January.
    27. Rajesh K. Aggarwal & Andrew A. Samwick, 2003. "Why Do Managers Diversify Their Firms? Agency Reconsidered," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(1), pages 71-118, February.
    28. Atreya Chakraborty & Mark Kazarosian & Emery Trahan, 1999. "Uncertainty in Executive Compensation and Capital Investment: A Panel Study," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 434, Boston College Department of Economics.
    29. Christopher Polk & Paola Sapienza, 2009. "The Stock Market and Corporate Investment: A Test of Catering Theory," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(1), pages 187-217, January.
    30. Gary K. Meek & Ramesh P. Rao & Christopher J. Skousen, 2007. "Evidence on factors affecting the relationship between CEO stock option compensation and earnings management," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 6(3), pages 304-323, August.
    31. Ei Yet Chu & Saw Imm Song, 2010. "Information Asymmetry and Earnings Management: Causes of Inefficient Investment in Malaysia," Capital Markets Review, Malaysian Finance Association, vol. 18(1&2), pages 1-21.
    32. Julio Pindado & Chabela De La Torre, 2009. "Effect of ownership structure on underinvestment and overinvestment: empirical evidence from Spain," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 49(2), pages 363-383, June.
    33. Park, Dong-hyun & Shin, Kwanho & Jongwanich, Juthathip, 2009. "The Decline of Investment in East Asia since the Asian Financial Crisis: An Overview and Empirical Examination," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 187, Asian Development Bank.
    34. Lin Peng & Ailsa Roell, 2008. "Manipulation and Equity-Based Compensation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(2), pages 285-290, May.
    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. Mehdi Bouras & Mohamed Imen Gallali, 2017. "Earnings Management, Equity-based Compensation, Economic Conjuncture and Governance Mechanisms: A Comparative Study between France and the United States," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(2), pages 585-600.
    2. Gatot Soepriyanto & Engkos Achmad Kuncoro & Arfian Erma Zudana & Livia Averine, 2022. "Does Executive Compensation Affect Accounting Irregularities? Evidence From Listed Firms in Indonesia," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, July.
    3. Ali Saleh Ahmed Alarussi, 2021. "Effectiveness, Efficiency and Executive Directors’ Compensation Among Listed Companies in Malaysia," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, October.
    4. Redhwan Al‐Dhamari & Abdulsalam Saad Alquhaif & Bakr Ali Al‐Gamrh, 2022. "Modelling the impact of audit/remuneration committee overlap on debtholders' perceptions of accounting information quality: The role of CEO power," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(3), pages 2898-2920, July.
    5. Bao Quan Lock & Ei Yet Chu & Saw Imm Song & Lian Yin Lee, 2019. "Exchange Rate Movements, Earnings Management and Stock Returns in Malaysia," Capital Markets Review, Malaysian Finance Association, vol. 27(1), pages 53-68.

    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. Hussein Abedi Shamsabadi & Byung-Seong Min & Richard Chung, 2016. "Corporate governance and dividend strategy: lessons from Australia," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 583-610, October.
    2. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Guay, Wayne R. & Weber, Joseph P., 2010. "The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance and debt contracting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 179-234, December.
    3. Khosa,Amrinder & Ahmed,Kamran & Henry,Darren, 2019. "Ownership Structure, Related Party Transactions, and Firm Valuation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781108492195, September.
    4. Loureiro, Gilberto & Makhija, Anil K. & Zhang, Dan, 2011. "Why Do Some CEOs Work for a One-Dollary Salary?," Working Paper Series 2011-7, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    5. 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.
    6. Wolfgang Drobetz & Pascal Pensa & Markus M. Schmid, 2007. "Estimating the Cost of Executive Stock Options: evidence from Switzerland," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(5), pages 798-815, September.
    7. Trojanowski, G., 2004. "Ownership structure as a mechanism of corporate governance," Other publications TiSEM 5dbc874d-d1d0-44a5-9717-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Dbouk, Wassim & Ismail, Ahmad, 2010. "Corporate governance and long run performance of seasoned equity issuers," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(4-5), pages 159-177, December.
    9. Cao, Zhangfan & Rees, William & Zhang, Zhifang, 2023. "The effect of real earnings smoothing on corporate labour investment," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).
    10. Cornett, Marcia Millon & McNutt, Jamie John & Tehranian, Hassan, 2009. "Corporate governance and earnings management at large U.S. bank holding companies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 412-430, September.
    11. Szilagyi, P.G., 2007. "Corporate governance and the agency costs of debt and outside equity," Other publications TiSEM 9520d40a-224f-43a8-9bf9-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    12. Julan Du & Charles Ka Yui Leung & Derek Chu, 2014. "Return Enhancing, Cash-rich or simply Empire-Building? An Empirical Investigation of Corporate Real Estate Holdings," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 17(3), pages 301-357.
    13. Timothy Fogarty & Michel Magnan & Garen Markarian & Serge Bohdjalian, 2009. "Inside Agency: The Rise and Fall of Nortel," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(2), pages 165-187, January.
    14. Lewellen, Katharina, 2004. "Financing Decisions When Managers Are Risk Averse," Working papers 4438-03, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    15. Hung, Mao-Wei & Liu, Yu-Jane & Tsai, Chia-Fen, 2012. "Managerial personal diversification and portfolio equity incentives," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 38-64.
    16. Kim, Sang-Joon & Bae, John & Oh, Hannah, 2019. "Financing strategically: The moderation effect of marketing activities on the bifurcated relationship between debt level and firm valuation of small and medium enterprises," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 663-681.
    17. Harvey, Campbell R. & Lins, Karl V. & Roper, Andrew H., 2004. "The effect of capital structure when expected agency costs are extreme," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 3-30, October.
    18. Naeem Tabassum & Satwinder Singh, 2020. "Corporate Governance and Organisational Performance," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-030-48527-6, December.
    19. Carola Frydman & Dirk Jenter, 2010. "CEO Compensation," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 2(1), pages 75-102, December.
    20. Fernando Lefort & Eduardo Walker, 2005. "The Effect of Corporate Governance Practices on Company Market Valuation and Payout Policy in Chile," Research Department Publications 3210, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.

    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:usm:journl:aamjaf00811_13-37. 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: Journal Division, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aammmea.html .

    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.