Shaped by Booms and Busts: How the Economy Impacts CEO Careers and Management Styles
Review of Financial Studies, Forthcoming
49 Pages Posted: 6 Aug 2016 Last revised: 1 Feb 2017
There are 3 versions of this paper
Shaped by Booms and Busts: How the Economy Impacts CEO Careers and Management Styles
Shaped by Booms and Busts: How the Economy Impacts CEO Careers and Management Styles
Shaped by Booms and Busts: How the Economy Impacts CEO Careers and Management Styles
Date Written: January 31, 2017
Abstract
We show that economic conditions when managers enter the labor market have long-run effects on their career paths and managerial styles. Managers who began their careers during recessions become CEOs more quickly, but at smaller firms. They also have more conservative styles, such as lower investment in capital expenditures and research and development, more cost cutting, and lower leverage and working capital needs. These recession effects appear to be largely driven by the characteristics of the CEO’s first job (recession CEOs tend to start in smaller or private firms), which suggests that the early work environment is important to the formation and selection of managers.
Keywords: Recession, Career Path, Management Style, Executive Labor Market
JEL Classification: G30, G31, G32, J24, M51
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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