IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/oup/jleorg/v15y1999i2p487-502.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Managerial Value Diversion and Shareholder Wealth

Author

Listed:
  • Bebchuk, Lucian Arye
  • Jolls, Christine

Abstract

The agents to whom shareholders delegate the management of corporate affairs may transfer value from shareholders to themselves through a variety of mechanisms, such as self-dealing, insider trading, and taking of corporate opportunities. A common view in the law and economics literature is that such value diversion does not ultimately produce a reduction in shareholder wealth, since value diversion simply substitutes for alternative forms of compensation that would otherwise be paid to managers. We question this view within its own analytical framework by studying, in a principal-agent model, the effects of allowing value diversion on managerial compensation and effort. We suggest that the standard law and economics view of diversion overlooks a significant cost of such behavior. Many common modes of compensation can provide managers with incentives to enhance shareholder value; replacing such compensation would reduce these incentives. As a result, even if the consequences of a rule permitting value diversion can be fully taken into account in setting managerial compensation, such a rule might still produce a reduction in shareholder wealth--and would not do so only if value diversion would have some countervailing positive effects (a possibility which our model considers) that are sufficiently significant in size. Copyright 1999 by Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Bebchuk, Lucian Arye & Jolls, Christine, 1999. "Managerial Value Diversion and Shareholder Wealth," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(2), pages 487-502, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:jleorg:v:15:y:1999:i:2:p:487-502
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noe, Thomas H, 1997. "Insider Trading and the Problem of Corporate Agency," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(2), pages 287-318, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Frédéric Demerens & Dorra Najar & Jean-Louis Paré & Jean Redis, 2013. "Typology of stock market offenses in France: An analysis of sanctions by the AMF since 2006," Post-Print hal-00992928, HAL.
    2. Bernard Yeung & Randall Morck & Daniel Wolfenzon, 2004. "Corporate Governance, Economic Entrenchment and Growth," Working Papers 04-21, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    3. Fabienne Llense, 2009. "Taxes on severance pay, corporate governance and golden handshakes," Post-Print halshs-00441911, HAL.
    4. Kim, Taeyeon & Kim, Hyun-Dong & Park, Kwangwoo, 2020. "CEO inside debt holdings and CSR activities," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 508-529.
    5. Cassell, Cory A. & Huang, Shawn X. & Manuel Sanchez, Juan & Stuart, Michael D., 2012. "Seeking safety: The relation between CEO inside debt holdings and the riskiness of firm investment and financial policies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(3), pages 588-610.
    6. Isabel Acero & Nuria Alcalde, 2016. "Controlling shareholders and the composition of the board: special focus on family firms," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 61-83, January.
    7. T. J. Atwood & Christina Lewellen, 2019. "The Complementarity between Tax Avoidance and Manager Diversion: Evidence from Tax Haven Firms," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(1), pages 259-294, March.
    8. Brito, Duarte & Elhauge, Einer & Ribeiro, Ricardo & Vasconcelos, Helder, 2023. "Modelling the objective function of managers in the presence of overlapping shareholding," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    9. Alexander Dyck & Luigi Zingales, 2002. "Private Benefits of Control: An International Comparison," NBER Working Papers 8711, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-072 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Paolo, Santella & Carlo, Drago & Giulia, Paone, 2007. "Who cares about Director Independence?," MPRA Paper 2288, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Zhe Shen & Haili Li & Norvald Instefjord & Xinming Liu, 2024. "Audit committee equity incentives and stock price crash risk," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 1145-1190, April.
    13. Mason, Charles F. & Gottesman, Aron A. & Prevost, Andrew K., 2003. "Shareholder intervention, managerial resistance, and corporate control: a Nash equilibrium approach," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 466-482.
    14. Li, Zhichuan Frank & Lin, Shannon & Sun, Shuna & Tucker, Alan, 2018. "Risk-adjusted inside debt," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 12-42.
    15. Michael Carney & Eric Gedajlovic & Sujit Sur, 2011. "Corporate governance and stakeholder conflict," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 15(3), pages 483-507, August.
    16. Lerong He & Shih-Jen Ho, 2011. "Monitoring Costs, Managerial Ethics and Corporate Governance: A Modeling Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(4), pages 623-635, April.
    17. Lee, Ye Ji, 2021. "The effects of analysts’ tax expense forecast accuracy on corporate tax avoidance: An international analysis," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2).
    18. Li, Guangzhong & Li, Jie, 2018. "Managerial diversion, product market competition, and firm performance," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 240-264.
    19. David Howden, 2014. "Knowledge flows and insider trading," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 27(1), pages 45-55, March.
    20. Zingales, Luigi, 2001. "Private Benefits of Control: An International Comparison," Working Papers 172, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    21. Joel S. Demski, 2003. "Corporate Conflicts of Interest," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(2), pages 51-72, Spring.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Leonard F.S. Wang & Ya‐Chin Wang, 2010. "Stackelberg real‐leader in an insider trading model," Studies in Economics and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(1), pages 30-46, March.
    2. Jie Hu & Thomas H. Noe, 1997. "The insider trading debate," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 82(Q 4), pages 34-45.
    3. Brenner, Steffen, 2011. "On the irrelevance of insider trading for managerial compensation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 293-303, February.
    4. Jan Zabojnik, 2014. "Stock-based Compensation Plans And Employee Incentives," Working Paper 1325, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    5. Cline, Brandon N. & Williamson, Claudia R. & Xiong, Haoyang, 2021. "Culture and the regulation of insider trading across countries," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    6. Chang, Millicent & Watson, Iain, 2015. "Delayed disclosure of insider trades: Incentives for and indicators of future performance?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(PA), pages 182-197.
    7. Dewally, Michaël & Peck, Sarah W., 2010. "Upheaval in the boardroom: Outside director public resignations, motivations, and consequences," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 38-52, February.
    8. Wei Zhang & Steven F. Cahan & Arthur C. Allen, 2005. "Insider Trading and Pay‐Performance Sensitivity: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9‐10), pages 1887-1919, November.
    9. P. J. Engelen & L. Liedekerke, 2006. "An Ethical Analysis of Regulating Insider Trading," Working Papers 06-05, Utrecht School of Economics.
    10. Wei Zhang & Steven F. Cahan & Arthur C. Allen, 2005. "Insider Trading and Pay-Performance Sensitivity: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(9-10), pages 1887-1919.
    11. Maug, Ernst, 2002. "Insider trading legislation and corporate governance," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(9), pages 1569-1597, October.
    12. Hu, Jie & Noe, Thomas H., 2001. "Insider trading and managerial incentives," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 681-716, April.
    13. Marius Cristian Milos & Laura Raisa Milos, 2017. "Regulation, Insider Trading And Stock Market Reaction. What Do We Know?," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1, pages 174-179, December.
    14. Chao Lu & Xuetong Zhao & Jingwen Dai, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Insider Trading: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-17, September.
    15. Chih-Jen Huang, 2010. "The joint decision to manage earnings through discretionary accruals and asset sales around insider trading: Taiwan evidence," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 34(3), pages 308-325, July.
    16. Jie Hu & Thomas H. Noe, 1997. "Insider trading, costly monitoring, and managerial incentives," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 97-2, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    17. Laura Beny, 2006. "Do Investors Value Insider Trading Laws? International Evidence," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp837, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:oup:jleorg:v:15:y:1999:i:2:p:487-502. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Oxford University Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://academic.oup.com/jleo .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.