IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v42y2017icp658-673.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Which came first, CEO compensation or firm performance? The causality dilemma in European companies

Author

Listed:
  • Smirnova, Aleksandra S.
  • Zavertiaeva, Marina A.

Abstract

This study uses both a functionalist paradigm of social theory and agency theory assumptions to examine whether CEO remuneration is performance sensitive and, vice versa, whether companies that pay their CEOs more perform better. Our analysis is based on the sample of 330 large European firms for the period from 2009 to 2013. The findings of panel data analysis confirm that CEO compensation is positively associated with corporate performance, and vice versa. The simultaneous estimation, in which we treat both compensation and firm performance as endogenous using a two-stage least squares method, shows that companies tie bonuses to accounting-based measures and this incentive pay enhances corporate internal performance. However, compensation linked to market-based measures does not improve firm performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Smirnova, Aleksandra S. & Zavertiaeva, Marina A., 2017. "Which came first, CEO compensation or firm performance? The causality dilemma in European companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 658-673.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:42:y:2017:i:c:p:658-673
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2017.07.009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531916302616
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2017.07.009?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James B. Wade & Charles A. O'Reilly & Timothy G. Pollock, 2006. "Overpaid CEOs and Underpaid Managers: Fairness and Executive Compensation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(5), pages 527-544, October.
    2. Ulrike Malmendier & Geoffrey Tate, 2009. "Superstar CEOs," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(4), pages 1593-1638.
    3. Firth, Michael & Fung, Peter M.Y. & Rui, Oliver M., 2006. "Corporate performance and CEO compensation in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 693-714, September.
    4. Neslihan Ozkan, 2011. "CEO Compensation and Firm Performance: an Empirical Investigation of UK Panel Data," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 17(2), pages 260-285, March.
    5. David De Angelis & Yaniv Grinstein, 2015. "Performance Terms in CEO Compensation Contracts," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 19(2), pages 619-651.
    6. Firth, M. & Tam, M. & Tang, M., 1999. "The determinants of top management pay," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 617-635, December.
    7. Chen, Yenn-Ru & Ma, Yulong, 2011. "Revisiting the risk-taking effect of executive stock options on firm performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(6), pages 640-648, June.
    8. Martin Conyon & Richard B. Freeman, 2004. "Shared Modes of Compensation and Firm Performance U.K. Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: Seeking a Premier Economy: The Economic Effects of British Economic Reforms, 1980–2000, pages 109-146, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Tian, Gloria Y. & Yang, Fan, 2014. "CEO incentive compensation in U.S. financial institutions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 64-75.
    10. Core, John E. & Holthausen, Robert W. & Larcker, David F., 1999. "Corporate governance, chief executive officer compensation, and firm performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 371-406, March.
    11. Rajgopal, Shivaram & Shevlin, Terry, 2002. "Empirical evidence on the relation between stock option compensation and risk taking," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 145-171, June.
    12. Renneboog, Luc & Zhao, Yang, 2011. "Us knows us in the UK: On director networks and CEO compensation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1132-1157, September.
    13. Jensen, Michael C & Murphy, Kevin J, 1990. "Performance Pay and Top-Management Incentives," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(2), pages 225-264, April.
    14. Paul Gregg & Sarah Jewell & Ian Tonks, 2005. "Executive Pay and Performance in the UK 1994-2002," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 05/122, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
    15. Hanlon, Michelle & Rajgopal, Shivaram & Shevlin, Terry, 2003. "Are executive stock options associated with future earnings?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-3), pages 3-43, December.
    16. Coles, Jeffrey L. & Daniel, Naveen D. & Naveen, Lalitha, 2006. "Managerial incentives and risk-taking," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 431-468, February.
    17. Ardalan, Kavous, 2017. "Capital structure theory: Reconsidered," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(PB), pages 696-710.
    18. Dee, Carol Callaway & Lulseged, Ayalew & Nowlin, Tanya S., 2005. "Executive compensation and risk: The case of internet firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 80-96, December.
    19. Ryan, Harley Jr. & Wiggins, Roy III, 2001. "The influence of firm- and manager-specific characteristics on the structure of executive compensation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 101-123, June.
    20. Chourou, Lamia & Abaoub, Ezzeddine & Saadi, Samir, 2008. "The economic determinants of CEO stock option compensation," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 61-77, February.
    21. Shahbaz Sheikh, 2012. "Do CEO compensation incentives affect firm innovation?," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(1), pages 4-39, February.
    22. Holthausen, Robert W. & Larcker, David F. & Sloan, Richard G., 1995. "Business unit innovation and the structure of executive compensation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2-3), pages 279-313, April.
    23. Fodil Adjaoud & Daniel Zeghal & Syed Andaleeb, 2007. "The Effect of Board's Quality on Performance: a study of Canadian firms," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 623-635, July.
    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. Clement Olalekan Olaniyi & Olaolu Richard Olayeni, 2020. "A new perspective into the relationship between CEO pay and firm performance: evidence from Nigeria’s listed firms," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 22(2), pages 250-277, December.
    2. Gu, Junjian, 2022. "Do at home as Romans do? CEO overseas experience and financial misconduct risk of emerging market firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    3. Harakeh, Mostafa & El-Gammal, Walid & Matar, Ghida, 2019. "Female directors, earnings management, and CEO incentive compensation: UK evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 153-170.
    4. Omar Farooque & Wonlop Buachoom & Nam Hoang, 2019. "Interactive effects of executive compensation, firm performance and corporate governance: Evidence from an Asian market," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1111-1164, December.
    5. Tutun Mukherjee & Som Sankar Sen, 2022. "Impact of CEO attributes on corporate reputation, financial performance, and corporate sustainable growth: evidence from India," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-50, December.
    6. Bhaskar, Ratikant & Bansal, Shashank & Pandey, Dharen Kumar, 2024. "CEO duality and corporate social responsibility: A moderation effect of founder CEO," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Pakamas Srichoke & Georgios Georgakopoulos & Alexandros Sikalidis & Athina Sotiropoulou, 2021. "Corporate Governance, CEO Compensation and accounting conservatism," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 14(1), pages 80-95, June.
    8. Shi, Juehui & Lin, Winston T. & Pham, Ngoc Cindy, 2021. "The Relationships Among Managerial Discretion, Firm Performance, and Chief Executive Officer Compensation: A Simultaneous Equations System Approach," American Business Review, Pompea College of Business, University of New Haven, vol. 24(1), pages 114-140, May.
    9. Mohamed Khenissi & Amal Hamrouni & Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi, 2022. "Executive compensation indexed to corporate social responsibility and firm performance: empirical evidence from France," Post-Print hal-03771680, HAL.
    10. Khenissi, Mohamed & Hamrouni, Amal & Farhat, Nadia Ben, 2022. "Executive compensation indexed to corporate social responsibility and firm performance: Empirical evidence from France," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    11. Monomita Nandy & Suman Lodh & Jin Wang & Jaskaran Kaur, 2021. "Does lobbying of firms complement executive networks in determining executive compensation?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4137-4162, July.
    12. Pandher, Gurupdesh, 2022. "Determinants of Return-maximizing CEO Equity & Cash compensation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 154-168.
    13. Stefan Schmid & Sebastian Baldermann, 2021. "CEOs’ International Work Experience and Compensation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 313-364, June.

    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. Dan Lin & Lu Lin, 2014. "The Interplay between Director Compensation and CEO Compensation," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 8(2), pages 11-26.
    2. Omar Farooque & Wonlop Buachoom & Nam Hoang, 2019. "Interactive effects of executive compensation, firm performance and corporate governance: Evidence from an Asian market," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1111-1164, December.
    3. Ren, Siewan & Wright, Anna & Wyatt, Anne, 2012. "Stock option use by Australian IPOs," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 1-22.
    4. Chen, Yenn-Ru & Lee, Bong Soo, 2010. "A dynamic analysis of executive stock options: Determinants and consequences," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 88-103, February.
    5. Matolcsy, Zoltan & Shan, Yaowen & Seethamraju, Vinay, 2012. "The timing of changes in CEO compensation from cash bonus to equity-based compensation: Determinants and performance consequences," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 78-91.
    6. Agyei-Boapeah, Henry & Ntim, Collins G. & Fosu, Samuel, 2019. "Governance structures and the compensation of powerful corporate leaders in financial firms during M&As," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    7. Akram, Farheen & Abrar ul haq, Muhammad, 2018. "Assessing the Effect of Managerial Power on Firm Performance through the Perceptual Lens of Executive Remuneration," MPRA Paper 100050, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2019.
    8. Andres, Christian & Fernau, Erik & Theissen, Erik, 2014. "Should I stay or should I go? Former CEOs as monitors," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 26-47.
    9. Ferreira, Daniel & Athanasakou, Vasiliki & Goh, Lisa, 2017. "Changes in CEO Stock Option Grants: A Look at the Numbers," CEPR Discussion Papers 12318, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Li, Donghui & Moshirian, Fariborz & Nguyen, Pascal & Tan, Liwen, 2007. "Corporate governance or globalization: What determines CEO compensation in China?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 32-49, January.
    11. Ingolf Dittmann & Ernst Maug, 2007. "Lower Salaries and No Options? On the Optimal Structure of Executive Pay," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(1), pages 303-343, February.
    12. Zur Shapira & Gary Dushnitsky, 2011. "Entrepreneurial Finance Meets Organizational Reality: Comparing Investment Practices And Performance Of Corporate And Independent Venture Capitalists," Discussion Paper Series dp589, The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
    13. Thi Bui & Andrew Ferguson & Peter Lam, 2021. "CEO compensation in early‐stage firms: Rewards for prospectivity and survival," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(5-6), pages 895-928, May.
    14. Steve Sauerwald & Zhiang (John) Lin & Mike W. Peng, 2016. "Board social capital and excess CEO returns," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(3), pages 498-520, March.
    15. Xin Qu & Majella Percy & Jenny Stewart & Fang Hu, 2018. "Executive stock option vesting conditions, corporate governance and CEO attributes: evidence from Australia," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(2), pages 503-533, June.
    16. Daniel Shapiro & Yao Tang & Miaojun Wang & Weiying Zhang, 2017. "Monetary incentives and innovation in Chinese SMEs," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(3), pages 130-157, July.
    17. J. Samuel Baixauli-Soler & Maria Belda-Ruiz & Gregorio Sanchez-Marin, 2017. "An executive hierarchy analysis of stock options: Does gender matter?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 737-766, October.
    18. Alves, Paulo & Couto, Eduardo Barbosa & Francisco, Paulo Morais, 2016. "Executive pay and performance in Portuguese listed companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 184-195.
    19. Sun, Sophia Li & Habib, Ahsan, 2020. "Determinants and consequences of tournament incentives: A survey of the literature in accounting and finance," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    20. Al-Najjar, Basil, 2017. "Corporate governance and CEO pay: Evidence from UK Travel and Leisure listed firms," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 9-14.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    CEO compensation; Firm performance; Simultaneous estimation; Sharpe index; Paradigms; Agency theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and 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:eee:riibaf:v:42:y:2017:i:c:p:658-673. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ribaf .

    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.