Download This PaperWhen do Pay Spreads Influence Firm Performance?
36 Pages Posted: 17 Mar 2010 Last revised: 7 Jun 2012
Date Written: June 16, 2010
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of hierarchical pay structures on firm value in firms where CEOs are not the highest paid members of the top management teams. We find that the difference in pay between CEO and VPs benefits firm value only when CEO is the highest paid member of the top management team. When the CEO does not receive the highest pay, pay spreads and CEO centrality both have a negative impact on firm performance. The paper also finds that financial distress, family ownership, firm size and R&D intensity increase the likelihood of CEO not being the highest paid manager, whereas CEO entrenchment and CEO power along with dividend payout decrease this likelihood.
Keywords: Pay Spread Firm Performance
JEL Classification: G3, G30, J33, L23
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
Recommended Papers
-
Are CEOS Really Paid Like Bureaucrats?
By Brian J. Hall and Jeffrey B. Liebman
-
Are CEOS Really Paid Like Bureaucrats?
By Brian J. Hall and Jeffrey B. Liebman
-
The Other Side of the Tradeoff: The Impact of Risk on Executive Compensation
-
Good Timing: CEO Stock Option Awards and Company News Announcements
-
Good Timing: CEO Stock Option Awards and Company News Announcements
-
The Use of Equity Grants to Manage Optimal Equity Incentive Levels
By John E. Core and Wayne R. Guay
-
The Other Side of the Tradeoff: the Impact of Risk on Executive Compensation
-
Stock Options for Undiversified Executives
By Brian J. Hall and Kevin J. Murphy