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The economic effects of expanded compensation disclosures

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  • Gipper, Brandon

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effects of expanded compensation disclosures on manager pay. For identification, I use the introduction of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) in the 2007 proxy season, a significant expansion in required compensation disclosures, to compare manager pay at firms with and without the disclosure in a difference-in-differences analysis. These disclosures are associated with increasing pay, contrary to the conventional wisdom that pay disclosures reduce pay levels via better shareholder monitoring. I hypothesize that enhanced ex ante disclosures of incentive plans reduce boards’ flexibility to make ex post adjustments or to use subjectivity and pressure boards toward more formulaic plans. Both effects impose higher payout risk on managers, leading to increased pay levels. Consistent with this hypothesis, the CD&A introduction is associated with lower likelihood to earn variable cash pay, greater use of formula-based pay, and higher pay at firms with more volatile measures of performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Gipper, Brandon, 2021. "The economic effects of expanded compensation disclosures," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:71:y:2021:i:1:s0165410120300409
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2020.101338
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    3. Jinhyeok Ra & Woochan Kim, 2023. "Perils of limiting the coverage of mandatory pay disclosure: The Korean experience," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(9-10), pages 1633-1670, October.
    4. Sara De Masi & Kose John & Agnieszka Słomka-Gołębiowska & Piotr Urbanek, 2023. "Regulation and post-crisis pay disclosure strategies of banks," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1243-1275, November.
    5. Xiong, Yan & Jiang, Xu, 2022. "Economic consequences of managerial compensation contract disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2).
    6. Bloomfield, Matthew J., 2021. "Compensation disclosures and strategic commitment: Evidence from revenue-based pay," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 620-643.
    7. Carosi, Andrea & Guedes, José, 2024. "Can compensation disclosure cause CEO pay escalation?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    8. Bushman, Robert, 2021. "Cash-based bonus plans as a strategic communication, coordination and commitment mechanism," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2).
    9. Wonjae Chang & Michael Dambra & Bryce Schonberger & Inho Suk, 2023. "Does Sensationalism Affect Executive Compensation? Evidence from Pay Ratio Disclosure Reform," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 187-242, March.
    10. Godsell, David & Huang, Kelly & Lao, Brent, 2023. "Managers’ rank & file employee coordination costs and real activities manipulation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    11. Tore Ellingsen & Eirik Gaard Kristiansen, 2022. "Fair and Square: A Retention Model of Managerial Compensation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(5), pages 3604-3624, May.
    12. Vincent Tena, 2023. "The Consequences of Regulating Agency Friction on an Optimal Contract," Post-Print hal-04722609, HAL.
    13. Liu, Yurou, 2023. "Judicial independence and crash risk: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Compensation governance; Compensation disclosures; Compensation discussion and analysis; Disclosure; Manager pay;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • J38 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Public Policy
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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