Say Pays! Shareholder Voice and Firm Performance

49 Pages Posted: 28 Mar 2013 Last revised: 3 Nov 2014

See all articles by Vicente Cuñat

Vicente Cuñat

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Financial Markets Group; The London School of Economics

Mireia Gine

IESE Business School, University of Navarra ; The University of Pennsylvania

Maria Guadalupe

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); INSEAD - Economics and Political Sciences; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

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Date Written: February 27, 2013

Abstract

This paper estimates the effects of Say-on-Pay (SoP); a policy that increases shareholder “voice” by providing shareholders with a regular vote on executive pay. We apply a regression discontinuity design to the votes on shareholder-sponsored SoP proposals. Adopting SoP leads to large increases in market value (4.6%) and to improvements in long-term performance: profitability and labor productivity increase, while overheads and investment fall. In contrast, we find limited effects on pay levels and structure. This suggests that SoP operates as a regular vote of confidence, increasing efficiency and market value.

Keywords: Say-on-Pay, Shareholder Voice, Executive Compensation, Firm Performance, Governance

JEL Classification: G34, L20, M12

Suggested Citation

Cuñat, Vicente and Cuñat, Vicente and Gine, Mireia and Guadalupe, Maria and Guadalupe, Maria, Say Pays! Shareholder Voice and Firm Performance (February 27, 2013). ECGI - Finance Working Paper No. 373, Upjohn Institute Working Paper No. 13-192, IESE Business School Working Paper No. 02/2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2240410 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2240410

Vicente Cuñat

The London School of Economics ( email )

United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.vicentecunat.com

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Financial Markets Group ( email )

Houghton Street
London WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.vicentecunat.com

Mireia Gine

IESE Business School, University of Navarra ( email )

Avenida Pearson 21
Barcelona, 08034
Spain

The University of Pennsylvania ( email )

Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States

Maria Guadalupe (Contact Author)

INSEAD - Economics and Political Sciences ( email )

Boulevard de Constance
F-77305 Fontainebleau Cedex
France

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

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