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Hand in the Cookie Jar: An Experimental Investigation of Equity‐Based Compensation and Managerial Fraud

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  • David Burner
  • Michael McKee
  • Rudy Santore

Abstract

The use of equity‐based compensation is an increasingly popular means by which to align the incentives of top management with those of the shareholders. However, recent theoretical and empirical research indicates that the use of equity‐based compensation has the unintended consequence of creating the incentive to commit managerial fraud of the type being reported in the press. This paper reports experimental evidence that shows that the amount of fraud committed by subjects is positively correlated with the level of equity, as is the level of effort. In addition, the amount of fraud that is committed is negatively correlated with the probability of detection and subjects' risk aversion. The experimental design permits the identification of causal relations in the directions just noted.

Suggested Citation

  • David Burner & Michael McKee & Rudy Santore, 2008. "Hand in the Cookie Jar: An Experimental Investigation of Equity‐Based Compensation and Managerial Fraud," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 75(1), pages 261-278, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:soecon:v:75:y:2008:i:1:p:261-278
    DOI: 10.1002/j.2325-8012.2008.tb00903.x
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    2. Francisco Galarza, 2009. "Choices under risk in rural peru," Artefactual Field Experiments 00047, The Field Experiments Website.
    3. Drichoutis, Andreas & Lusk, Jayson, 2012. "Risk preference elicitation without the confounding effect of probability weighting," MPRA Paper 37762, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Sally S. Simpson & Melissa Rorie & Mariel Alper & Natalie Schell‐Busey & William S. Laufer & N. Craig Smith, 2014. "Corporate Crime Deterrence: A Systematic Review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages 1-105.
    5. Chan, Chia-Ying & Chou, De-Wai & Lin, Jane-Raung & Liu, Feng-Ying, 2016. "The role of corporate governance in forecasting bankruptcy: Pre- and post-SOX enactment," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 166-188.
    6. Loyola, Gino & Portilla, Yolanda, 2020. "Managerial compensation as a double-edged sword: Optimal incentives under misreporting," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 994-1017.
    7. Maier, Johannes & Rüger, Maximilian, 2010. "Measuring Risk Aversion Model-Independently," Discussion Papers in Economics 11873, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    8. Rudy Santore & Youping Li & Stephen Cotten, 2015. "Colluding with a conscience," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 255-269, April.
    9. Rojas-Nazar, U.A. & Cullen, R. & Gardner, J.P.A. & Bell, J.J., 2015. "Marine reserve establishment and on-going management costs: A case study from New Zealand," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 216-224.
    10. Chi Wai Yu & Y. Jane Zhang & Sharon Xuejing Zuo, 2021. "Multiple Switching and Data Quality in the Multiple Price List," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(1), pages 136-150, March.
    11. Tan, Charmaine H.Y., 2020. "Overbidding and matching rules in second-price auctions: An experimental study," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    12. Andreas C. Drichoutis & Jayson L. Lusk, 2016. "What can multiple price lists really tell us about risk preferences?," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 89-106, December.
    13. Kyota Eguchi, 2017. "Guilty Conscience And Incentives With Performance Assessment Errors," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 55(1), pages 434-450, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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