IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/mgtdec/v45y2024i2p860-879.html

Customer concentration and company risk‐taking: Effective contract or managerial power?

Author

Listed:
  • Yafei Zu
  • Que Zheng
  • Mengyao Qiao
  • Xiangfei Zeng

Abstract

This paper studies the relationship between customer concentration and company risk‐taking and its underlying application scopes. The results show that customer concentration is positively related to company risk‐taking. Additional analyses discuss the moderating effect of customer concentration on company risk‐taking from the perspectives of managers' characteristics and directors' characteristics. The view of effective contract is supported by all these results. This paper not only theoretically clarifies the underlying theoretical relationship between customer concentration and company risk‐taking but also provides empirical application situations for companies to design incentive contract and adjust risk‐taking level.

Suggested Citation

  • Yafei Zu & Que Zheng & Mengyao Qiao & Xiangfei Zeng, 2024. "Customer concentration and company risk‐taking: Effective contract or managerial power?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(2), pages 860-879, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:45:y:2024:i:2:p:860-879
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.4037
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.4037
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/mde.4037?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lee, Liane W.Y. & Tang, Yiming & Yip, Leslie S.C. & Sharma, Piyush, 2018. "Managing customer relationships in the emerging markets – guanxi as a driver of Chinese customer loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 356-365.
    2. Favara, Giovanni & Morellec, Erwan & Schroth, Enrique & Valta, Philip, 2017. "Debt enforcement, investment, and risk taking across countries," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 22-41.
    3. Zwiebel, Jeffrey, 1995. "Corporate Conservatism and Relative Compensation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(1), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Liu, Laura Xiaolei & Mao, Mike Qinghao & Nini, Greg, 2018. "Customer risk and corporate financial policy: Evidence from receivables securitization," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 453-467.
    5. Bebchuk, Lucian Arye & Fried, Jesse & Walker, David I, 2002. "Managerial Power and Rent Extraction in the Design of Executive Compensation," CEPR Discussion Papers 3558, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Nikos Vafeas, 2003. "Length of Board Tenure and Outside Director Independence," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30, pages 1043-1064.
    7. Kun Su & Liuchuang Li & Rui Wan, 2017. "Ultimate ownership, risk-taking and firm value: evidence from China," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 10-26, January.
    8. Talavera, Oleksandr & Yin, Shuxing & Zhang, Mao, 2018. "Age diversity, directors' personal values, and bank performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 60-79.
    9. Dunbar, Craig & Li, Zhichuan (Frank) & Shi, Yaqi, 2020. "CEO risk-taking incentives and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. Kun Su & Heng Liu & Han Zhang, 2019. "Board size, social trust, and corporate risk taking: Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(6), pages 596-609, September.
    13. Lian, Yili, 2017. "Financial distress and customer-supplier relationships," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 397-406.
    14. Campello, Murillo & Gao, Janet, 2017. "Customer concentration and loan contract terms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 108-136.
    15. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Core, John E. & Guay, Wayne R., 2014. "Do independent directors cause improvements in firm transparency?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(3), pages 383-403.
    16. Chen, Jie & Su, Xunhua & Tian, Xuan & Xu, Bin, 2022. "Does customer-base structure influence managerial risk-taking incentives?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 462-483.
    17. Kai Wai Hui & Chuchu Liang & P. Eric Yeung, 2019. "The effect of major customer concentration on firm profitability: competitive or collaborative?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 189-229, March.
    18. Nguyen, Bang Dang & Nielsen, Kasper Meisner, 2010. "The value of independent directors: Evidence from sudden deaths," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 550-567, December.
    19. 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.
    20. Alex Edmans, 2009. "Blockholder Trading, Market Efficiency, and Managerial Myopia," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(6), pages 2481-2513, December.
    21. Li, Kai & Griffin, Dale & Yue, Heng & Zhao, Longkai, 2013. "How does culture influence corporate risk-taking?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 1-22.
    22. Steven Crawford & Ying Huang & Ningzhong Li & Ziyun Yang, 2020. "Customer Concentration and Public Disclosure: Evidence from Management Earnings and Sales Forecasts†," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(1), pages 131-159, March.
    23. Rangarajan K. Sundaram & David L. Yermack, 2007. "Pay Me Later: Inside Debt and Its Role in Managerial Compensation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(4), pages 1551-1588, August.
    24. Göx, Robert F. & Hemmer, Thomas, 2020. "On the relation between managerial power and CEO pay," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2).
    25. Nikos Vafeas, 2003. "Length of Board Tenure and Outside Director Independence," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7‐8), pages 1043-1064, September.
    26. Qing He & Oliver M. Rui, 2016. "Ownership Structure and Insider Trading: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(4), pages 553-574, April.
    27. Hagendorff, Jens & Vallascas, Francesco, 2011. "CEO pay incentives and risk-taking: Evidence from bank acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1078-1095, September.
    28. Song, Wei-Ling & Wan, Kam-Ming, 2019. "Does CEO compensation reflect managerial ability or managerial power? Evidence from the compensation of powerful CEOs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-14.
    29. James G. March & Zur Shapira, 1987. "Managerial Perspectives on Risk and Risk Taking," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(11), pages 1404-1418, November.
    30. Ziyang Li & Qianwei Ying & Yuying Chen & Xuehui Zhang, 2020. "Managerial risk appetite and asymmetry cost behavior: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(5), pages 4651-4692, December.
    31. Aslan, Hadiye, 2020. "Shareholders versus stakeholders in investor activism: Value for whom?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    32. 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.
    33. Dhaliwal, Dan & Judd, J. Scott & Serfling, Matthew & Shaikh, Sarah, 2016. "Customer concentration risk and the cost of equity capital," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 23-48.
    34. Tiantian Gu & Nada R. Sanders & Anand Venkateswaran, 2017. "CEO Incentives and Customer-Supplier Relations," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 26(9), pages 1705-1727, September.
    35. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1988. "Value Maximization and the Acquisition Process," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 2(1), pages 7-20, Winter.
    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. Hui Liang James & Hongxia Wang, 2021. "Independent director tenure and dividends," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(5-6), pages 1057-1091, May.
    2. A. Hossain & A.-A. Masum & S. Saadi & R. Benkraiem & N. Das, 2023. "Firm-Level Climate Change Risk and CEO Equity Incentives," Post-Print hal-04434397, HAL.
    3. Sun, Jerry & Cahan, Steven F. & Emanuel, David, 2009. "Compensation committee governance quality, chief executive officer stock option grants, and future firm performance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(8), pages 1507-1519, August.
    4. James, Hui Liang & Ngo, Thanh & Wang, Hongxia, 2021. "Independent director tenure and corporate transparency," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    5. Wang, Qiong & Qiu, Muqing, 2023. "Strength in numbers: Minority shareholders' participation and executives' pay-performance sensitivity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    6. Lahlou, Ismail & Navatte, Patrick, 2017. "Director compensation incentives and acquisition performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1-11.
    7. Liew, Chee Yoong & Ko, Young Kyung & Song, Bee Lian & Murthy, Saraniah Thechina, 2019. "Directors’ remuneration, expropriation and firm performance in Malaysia: evidence from non-executive directors’ service duration within the remuneration committee," MPRA Paper 99703, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. 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.
    9. Stacey Beaumont & Raluca Ratiu & David Reeb & Glenn Boyle & Philip Brown & Alexander Szimayer & Raymond Silva Rosa & David Hillier & Patrick McColgan & Athanasios Tsekeris & Bryan Howieson & Zoltan Ma, 2016. "Comments on Shan and Walter: ‘Towards a Set of Design Principles for Executive Compensation Contracts’," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(4), pages 685-771, December.
    10. Ashrafee Hossain & Samir Saadi & Abu S. Amin, 2023. "Does CEO Risk-Aversion Affect Carbon Emission?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 1171-1198, February.
    11. James, Hui L. & Benson, Bradley W. & Park, Jung Chul, 2020. "CEO fixed effects and inside debt compensation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 71-86.
    12. Daniel Beck & Gunther Friedl & Peter Schäfer, 2020. "Executive compensation in Germany," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 90(5), pages 787-824, June.
    13. Calcagno, R. & Renneboog, L.D.R., 2004. "Capital Structure and Managerial Compensation : The Effects of Renumeration Seniority," Discussion Paper 2004-120, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    14. Wei, Yufen & Tang, Jinghua & He, Hongbo & Wu, Chanjun & Lin, Muyangzi & Xie, Haonan, 2025. "Customer concentration and corporate greenwashing," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Sen Zeng & Yiqian Huang & Longjun Xiao & Xueyan Jiang & Yanru Li & Cao Yuan, 2025. "Director Tenure and Corporate Misconduct: The Moderating Effect of the Director Network Position," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-27, January.
    16. Min Jung Kang & Andy (Y. Han) Kim, 2017. "Bankers on the Board and CEO Incentives," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 23(2), pages 292-324, March.
    17. Pamela Kent & Kim Kercher & James Routledge, 2018. "Remuneration committees, shareholder dissent on CEO pay and the CEO pay–performance link," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(2), pages 445-475, June.
    18. Dong, Feng & Doukas, John, 2021. "The effect of managers on M&As," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    19. Natalie Elms & Pamela Fae Kent, 2023. "Nomination committees in Australia, outcomes for influence of a powerful CEO and diversity," Journal of Accounting Literature, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(4), pages 481-509, July.
    20. Adel Necib, 2023. "The Effects of Executives’ Agility Decision-Making in COVID-19 Pandemic Period on Companies’ Performance," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 13(2), pages 42-64.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:mgtdec:v:45:y:2024:i:2:p:860-879. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 .

    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.