6533b7d4fe1ef96bd1262641

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Exchange Rate and Macroeconomic Fluctuations as Sources of Luck in CEO Compensation

Hsin-hui ChiuLars OxelheimLars OxelheimLars OxelheimClas WihlborgClas WihlborgJianhua Zhang

subject

IncentiveCurrent compensationExchange rateExecutive compensationLuckmedia_common.quotation_subjectRemunerationEconomicsMonetary economicsSalarymedia_commonCompensation (engineering)

description

Exchange rate and other macroeconomic fluctuations can be considered sources of good or bad “luck” for corporate performance. Incentive effects of performance-based compensation for management may be weakened or biased by macroeconomic influences on remuneration depending on the ability of management to adjust operations. We decompose the changes in CEO-compensation to distinguish between (anticipated-and unanticipated) macroeconomic and “intrinsic” sources. Total US CEO-compensation is measured both including options awarded and options exercised. Both depend strongly on variations in macro-factors but the time patterns differ. Allowing for asymmetric effects on compensation we find that current compensation (salary bonus) has the most positive asymmetry.

https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1928959