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Incentives and innovation : evidence from CEO compensation contracts

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Listed author(s):
  • Francis, Bill
  • Hasan, Iftekhar
  • Sharma, Zenu

Abstract

We investigate the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) compensation and innovation. In an empirical examination of compensation contracts of S&P 400, 500, and 600 firms we find that long-term incentives in the form of options are positively related to patents and citations to patents. In addition, convexity of options has a positive effect on innovation. We also find no relationship between pay for performance sensitivity (PPS) with patents and citations to patents while we did discover a positive relationship between these and golden parachutes. Finally, we show that subsequent to project failure managers compensation contracts are reset favourably. We provide support for the theory that compensation contracts that offer long-term commitment and protection from failure are more suitable for innovation

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Paper provided by Bank of Finland in its series Research Discussion Papers with number 17/2011.

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Date of creation: 2011
Handle: RePEc:bof:bofrdp:2011_017
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Bank of Finland, P.O. Box 160, FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland

Web page: http://www.suomenpankki.fi/en/

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Cited by:

  1. Diego d'Andria, 2016. "Taxation and Incentives to Innovate: A Principal-Agent Approach," FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 72(1), pages 96-123, March.
  2. Honoré, Florence & Munari, Federico & van Pottelsberghe de La Potterie, Bruno, 2015. "Corporate governance practices and companies’ R&D intensity: Evidence from European countries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 533-543.
  3. Chang, Xin & Fu, Kangkang & Low, Angie & Zhang, Wenrui, 2015. "Non-executive employee stock options and corporate innovation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 168-188.
  4. d'Andria, Diego & Uebelmesser, Silke, 2016. "The relationship between R&D intensity and profit-sharing schemes: evidence from Germany and the United Kingdom," Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145622, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
  5. Blanco, Iván & Wehrheim, David, 2016. "The Bright Side of Financial Derivatives: Options Trading and Firm Innovation," MPRA Paper 69239, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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