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The impact of executive pay on the disclosure of alternative earnings per share figures

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  • Grey, Colette
  • Stathopoulos, Konstantinos
  • Walker, Martin

Abstract

This paper investigates the motives for disclosing an alternative earnings per share (EPS) figure. In particular, we extend prior findings for the UK (Choi, Lin, Walker & Young, 2007) by highlighting the role of managerial contracting in the alternative EPS disclosure choice. We examine a specific contractual setting where management is especially sensitive to reported earnings numbers, i.e., when EPS performance targets exist in the managerial remuneration package. Our analysis suggests that the choice to disclose an alternative EPS figure is positively related to firms where the vesting of executive share options (ESOs) is contingent on the achievement of growth in EPS. Our results remain significant after testing for selection bias, direction of causality and after matching firms on variables prior literature identifies as influential in the choice of an EPS target as a performance criterion in executive remuneration.

Suggested Citation

  • Grey, Colette & Stathopoulos, Konstantinos & Walker, Martin, 2013. "The impact of executive pay on the disclosure of alternative earnings per share figures," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 227-236.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:29:y:2013:i:c:p:227-236
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2012.09.005
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    3. Grey, Colette & Flynn, Antoinette & Adu, Douglas A., 2024. "An examination of how executive remuneration and firm performance are influenced by Chair-CEO diversity attributes," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Sascha B. Herr & Peter Lorson & Jochen Pilhofer, 2022. "Alternative Performance Measures: A Structured Literature Review of Research in Academic and Professional Journals," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 389-451, September.
    5. Ahmad, Sardar & Akbar, Saeed & Halari, Anwar & Shah, Syed Zubair, 2021. "Organizational non-compliance with principles-based governance provisions and corporate risk-taking," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Mark Brosnan & Keith Duncan & Tim Hasso & Janice Hollindale, 2023. "Non‐GAAP earnings and executive compensation: An experiment," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 4375-4398, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Accounting choice; Earnings per share; Transitory items; Executive remuneration; Share options;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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