Information-based stock trading, executive incentives, and the principal-agent problem

Information-based stock trading, executive incentives, and the principal-agent problem

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Article ID: iaor20103554
Volume: 56
Issue: 4
Start Page Number: 682
End Page Number: 698
Publication Date: Apr 2010
Journal: Management Science
Authors: ,
Keywords: incentives, stock market
Abstract:

We examine the role of information-based stock trading in affecting the risk–incentive relation. By incorporating an endogenous informed trading into an optimal incentive contracting model, we analytically show that, apart from reducing incentives, a greater risk increases the level of information-based trading, which consequently enhances executive incentives and offsets the negative risk–incentive relation. We calibrate the model and find that the economic magnitude of this incentive-enhancement effect is significant. Our empirical test using real-world executive compensation data lends strong support to the model prediction. Our results suggest that principals (boards of directors) should consider underlying stock trading characteristics when structuring executive incentives.

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