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CEO job security and risk-taking

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  • Cziraki, Peter
  • Xu, Moqi

Abstract

We use the length of employment contracts to estimate CEO turnover probability and its effects on risk-taking. Protection against dismissal should encourage CEOs to pursue riskier projects. Indeed, we show that firms with lower CEO turnover probability exhibit higher return volatility, especially idiosyncratic risk. An increase in turnover probability of one standard deviation is associated with a volatility decline of 17 basis points. This reduction in risk is driven largely by a decrease in investment and is not associated with changes in compensation incentives or leverage.

Suggested Citation

  • Cziraki, Peter & Xu, Moqi, 2014. "CEO job security and risk-taking," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 55909, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:55909
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/55909/
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    Cited by:

    1. Herbert Dawid & Philipp Harting & Sander van der Hoog, 2019. "Manager remuneration, share buybacks, and firm performance," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(3), pages 681-706.
    2. Brochet, Francois & Limbach, Peter & Schmid, Markus M. & Scholz-Daneshgari, Meik, 2019. "CEO tenure and firm value," CFR Working Papers 16-11, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR), revised 2019.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    risk-taking; gambling for resurrection; CEO contracts; CEO turnover;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • J41 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Labor Contracts
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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