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Executive compensation incentives, risk level and corporate innovation

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  • Zhou, Bing
  • Li, Yu-meng
  • Sun, Fang-cheng
  • Zhou, Zhong-guo

Abstract

This paper explores the innovation of Chinese listed companies from the perspectives of CEOs' compensation and corporate risk. We find that executives' salary can effectively promote firms' investment in research and development (R&D), while equity compensation failed to promote corporate R&D investment. Besides, the level of corporate risk has a mediating effect between executives' salary and corporate R&D investment. However, corporate risk level has a moderating effect between equity compensation and corporate R&D investment. When the level of risk is higher than a certain level, the negative impact of executives' equity compensation on innovation input becomes more obvious.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhou, Bing & Li, Yu-meng & Sun, Fang-cheng & Zhou, Zhong-guo, 2021. "Executive compensation incentives, risk level and corporate innovation," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:47:y:2021:i:c:s1566014121000066
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ememar.2021.100798
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    Cited by:

    1. Hui Zhang & Vesarach Aumeboonsuke, 2022. "Technological Innovation, Risk-Taking and Firm Performance—Empirical Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Guo, Shu & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2023. "Green credit policy and total factor productivity: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    3. Zhong, Meirui & Lu, Qiaolin & He, Ruifang, 2022. "The heterogeneous effects of industrial policy on technological innovation: Evidence from China's new metal material industry and micro-data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Ting Qian & Caoyuan Yang, 2023. "State-Owned Equity Participation and Corporations’ ESG Performance in China: The Mediating Role of Top Management Incentives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Cheng, Rui & Frijns, Bart & Kim, Hyeongjun & Ryu, Doojin, 2024. "Effects of option incentive compensation on corporate innovation: The case of China," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(1).
    6. Jin Zhu & Fei Huang, 2023. "Transformational Leadership, Organizational Innovation, and ESG Performance: Evidence from SMEs in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-23, March.
    7. Zhang, Cheng & Yang, Chunhong & Liu, Cheng, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty and corporate risk-taking: Loss aversion or opportunity expectations," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    8. Liping Fu & Shan Zhang & Fan Wu, 2022. "The Impact of Compensation Gap on Corporate Innovation: Evidence from China’s Pharmaceutical Industry," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Artur Mitsel & Aleksandr Shilnikov & Pavel Senchenko & Anatoly Sidorov, 2021. "Enterprise Compensation System Statistical Modeling for Decision Support System Development," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(23), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Li, Tao & Wang, Yan, 2022. "Corporate responsibility towards employees and innovation: Evidence from an emerging market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Executive compensation incentives; Corporate risk level; Corporate innovation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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