CEO pay-performance sensitivity: A multi-equation model

Author(s)

Rebecca Abraham, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Judith Harris, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Joel Auerbach, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

ORCID

Rebecca Abraham 0000-0002-3144-7759

Joel Auerbach0000-0002-1229-0127

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Technology and Investment

ISSN

2150-4059

Publication Date

2014

Abstract/Excerpt

This study examines the variables influencing CEO compensation in the technology sector using both exclusively exogenous and interchangeably exogenous and endogenous variables. The study was confined to a single industry to isolate industry compensation practices which may be smoothed out in multi-industry studies. Multiple equations in a vector autoregressive model were used to explain compensation in recognition of the endogeneity of variables such as sales growth, stock returns and net income. Using US firms listed on the NASDAQ, we find that CEO compensation (measured separately as salary only, stock option grants only and total compensation from all sources) to be significantly explained by firm size, the ability to reduce debt, the ability to fund growth, net income and personal characteristics. CEOs are rewarded for achieving profitability. While there is an expectation of innovation in the technology sector with research and development expenditure increasing both sales and stock returns, such innovation only contributes to CEO compensation if it is translated into rising net income in an environment of debt-reduction. Further, CEOs are rewarded for implementing disruptive technology as a competitive strategy. The ability to fund growth is pertinent for the technology sector which may be restricted in its access to debt. Increases in age, tenure and the existence of celebrity status of the CEO led to increased compensation underscoring the importance of personal characteristics.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.4236/ti.2014.53013

Volume

5

Issue

3

First Page

125

Last Page

136

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

NSUWorks Citation

Abraham, Rebecca; Harris, Judith; and Auerbach, Joel, "CEO pay-performance sensitivity: A multi-equation model" (2014). HCBE Faculty Articles. 796.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hcbe_facarticles/796