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CEO Compensation: Evidence from the Field

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  • Alex Edmans
  • Tom Gosling
  • Dirk Jenter

Abstract

We survey directors and investors on the objectives, constraints, and determinants of CEO pay. 67% of directors would sacrifice shareholder value to avoid controversy on CEO pay, implying they face significant constraints other than participation and incentive compatibility. These constraints lead to lower pay levels and more one-size-fits-all structures. Shareholders are the main source of constraints, suggesting directors and investors disagree on how to maximize value. Respondents view intrinsic motivation and reputation as stronger motivators than incentive pay. They believe pay matters to CEOs not to finance consumption, but because it affects perceptions of fairness. The need to fairly recognize the CEO’s contribution explains why flow pay responds to performance, even though CEOs’ equity holdings already provide substantial consumption incentives, and why peer firm pay matters beyond retention concerns. Fairness also matters to investors, with shareholder returns an important reference point. This causes CEO pay to be affected by external risks, in contrast to optimal risk sharing.

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  • Alex Edmans & Tom Gosling & Dirk Jenter, 2021. "CEO Compensation: Evidence from the Field," CESifo Working Paper Series 9162, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9162
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Cziraki & Dirk Jenter, 2021. "The Market for CEOs," CESifo Working Paper Series 9143, CESifo.
    2. Dupuy, Arnaud & Kennes, John & Lyng, Ran Sun, 2021. "The Market for CEOs: Building Legacy and Feeling Empowered Matter," IZA Discussion Papers 14803, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Xiong, Yan & Jiang, Xu, 2022. "Economic consequences of managerial compensation contract disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2).
    4. John Bizjak & Swaminathan Kalpathy & Zhichuan Frank Li & Brian Young, 2022. "The Choice of Peers for Relative Performance Evaluation in Executive Compensation [Peer choice in CEO compensation]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(5), pages 1217-1239.
    5. Colonnello, Stefano & Koetter, Michael & Wagner, Konstantin, 2023. "Compensation regulation in banking: Executive director behavior and bank performance after the EU bonus cap," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1).
    6. Aabo, Tom & Jacobsen, Mikkel Lilholt & Stendys, Kasper, 2022. "Pay me with fame, not mammon: CEO narcissism, compensation, and media coverage," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    7. Morten Grindaker & Andreas R. Kostøl & Kasper Roszbach, 2021. "Executive Labor Market Frictions, Corporate Bankruptcy and CEO Careers," Working Paper 2021/15, Norges Bank.
    8. Ferreira, Daniel & Nikolowa, Radoslawa, 2024. "Prestige, promotion, and pay," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118369, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    executive compensation; contract theory; CEO incentives; fairness; survey;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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