U.S. Executive Compensation in Historical Perspective

Wells, Harwell

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U.S. Executive Compensation in Historical Perspective

RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION, Hill et al., eds., Elgar Press, 2011

Temple University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2011-19

37 Pages Posted: 5 Mar 2011 Last revised: 20 Jun 2011

See all articles by Harwell Wells

Harwell Wells

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law

Date Written: 2011

Abstract

Executive compensation is one of the central issues of modern corporate governance, but its history has received surprisingly little attention. This draft chapter for the forthcoming Research Handbook on Executive Compensation (Jennifer Hill & Randall Thomas, eds.) surveys the development of, and conflicts over, U. S. executive compensation across the twentieth century, paying particular attention to political, social, and legal contexts sometimes underplayed in accounts more tightly focused on pay level and composition. It closes by identifying several as-yet unresolved puzzles raised by the history of executive compensation.

Keywords: executive compensation, history

JEL Classification: K22

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Wells, Harwell, U.S. Executive Compensation in Historical Perspective (2011). RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION, Hill et al., eds., Elgar Press, 2011, Temple University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2011-19, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1775083