The growth optimal capital structure: manager versus shareholder objectives

Utilizing a geometric mean wealth maximization approach, this paper shows potential differences between the capital structure preferred by stockholders and the one preferred by managers. In general, managers may prefer more conservative, equity‐oriented financing, while stockholders desire greater financial leverage. The problem arises because of differences in the degree of portfolio diversification achieved by managers and stockholders. Stockholders tend to have reasonably well‐diversified portfolios, causing them to be concerned with systematic risk. Managers' portfolios are apt to be more concentrated and directly tied to the financial success of an employer, causing managers to be concerned with total risk. Thus, for a given capital structure, each party views the firm as having a different level of risk. Several executive compensation plans are considered that might more closely align the interests of managers and stockholders.