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In Search of Ideas: Technological Innovation and Executive Pay Inequality

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  • Carola Frydman
  • Dimitris Papanikolaou

Abstract

We develop a general equilibrium model that delivers realistic fluctuations in both the level as well as the dispersion in executive pay as a result of changes in the technology frontier. Our model recognizes that executives add value to the firm not only by participating in production decisions, but also by identifying new investment opportunities. The economic value of these two distinct components of the executive's job varies with the state of the economy. Improvements in technology that are specific to new vintages of capital raise the skill price of discovering new growth prospects -- and thus raise the compensation of executives relative to workers. If most of the dispersion in managerial skill lies in the ability to find new projects, dispersion in executive pay will also rise. Our model delivers testable predictions about the relation between executive pay and growth opportunities that are quantitatively consistent with the data.

Suggested Citation

  • Carola Frydman & Dimitris Papanikolaou, 2015. "In Search of Ideas: Technological Innovation and Executive Pay Inequality," NBER Working Papers 21795, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21795
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    2. Andrea Eisfeldt & Antonio Falato & Mindy Z. Xiaolan, 2018. "The Rise of Human Capitalist," 2018 Meeting Papers 1110, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    3. Philippe Aghion & Ufuk Akcigit & Antonin Bergeaud & Richard Blundell & David Hemous, 2019. "Innovation and Top Income Inequality," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 86(1), pages 1-45.
    4. Qiong Jia & Liyuan Wei & Xiaotong Li, 2019. "Visualizing Sustainability Research in Business and Management (1990–2019) and Emerging Topics: A Large-Scale Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-37, October.
    5. Finocchiaro, Daria & Weil, Philippe, 2022. "A Traffic-Jam Theory of Growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 17304, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Tao Tang & Lizeth Cuesta & Brayan Tillaguango & Rafael Alvarado & Abdul Rehman & Diana Bravo-Benavides & Natalia Zárate, 2022. "Causal Link between Technological Innovation and Inequality Moderated by Public Spending, Manufacturing, Agricultural Employment, and Export Diversification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-25, July.
    7. Toni M Whited, 2023. "Integrating Structural and Reduced-Form Methods in Empirical Finance," Journal of Financial Econometrics, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 597-615.
    8. Christopher Kurzhals & Lorenz Graf‐Vlachy & Andreas König, 2020. "Strategic leadership and technological innovation: A comprehensive review and research agenda," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 437-464, November.
    9. Juan A. Correa & Francisco Parro & Rafael Sánchez, 2023. "The Distributional Effect of Trade on the CEO Market," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(357), pages 111-139, January.
    10. Dae Soo Choi & Chang Soo Sung & Joo Y. Park, 2020. "How Does Technology Startups Increase Innovative Performance? The Study of Technology Startups on Innovation Focusing on Employment Change in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-14, January.
    11. Anran Xiao & Zeshui Xu & Marinko Skare & Yong Qin & Xinxin Wang, 2024. "Bridging the digital divide: the impact of technological innovation on income inequality and human interactions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Li Jing & Huying Zhang, 2023. "Venture Capital, Compensation Incentive, and Corporate Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Stefano Colonnello & Giuliano Curatola & Shuo Xia, 2022. "Trading Away Incentives," Working Papers 2022:16, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    14. Sotiris Blanas, 2024. "The distinct effects of information technologies and communication technologies on skill demand," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(4), pages 442-490, October.
    15. Hwa-Sung Kim, 2023. "Effects of ambiguity on innovation strategies," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, December.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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