Corporate Governance, CEO Compensation, and Firm Performance
Posted: 28 Mar 1997
Date Written: February 1997
Abstract
We examine whether board and ownership structure variables explain the level of chief executive officer (CEO) compensation. After controlling for standard economic determinants (i.e., the firm's demand for a high-quality CEO, firm performance, and risk), we find that board and ownership structure variables explain a significant amount of cross-sectional variation in CEO compensation. We also find that the predicted component of compensation arising from these board and ownership structure characteristics has a significant negative relation with subsequent firm accounting performance. Overall, our analysis indicates that unusually large CEO compensation levels reflect managerial entrenchment or poor governance mechanisms, and that firms with more entrenched managers or poorer governance systems perform worse.
JEL Classification: G32, G34, J31, J44
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation