Date of Original Version
8-2008
Type
Article
Published In
CESifo Economic Studies 2009 55(3-4):515-541 as "Insider Information and Performance Pay"
Abstract or Table of Contents
Empirically, managers benefi…t from their …firm's good fortune through their compensation package, and by trading their firm's securities. This practice could easily be eliminated by the board of directors. Theoretically, managers should not pro…t from changes in the …firm's value if there is only private information in the model. Moral hazard explains the paradox of insider information and performance pay. Shareholders permit managers to exploit hidden information in order to incentivize their work activities. The estimated benefi…ts from designing contracts that depend on abnormal returns far outweigh projected savings in lower compensation from paying managers …fixed wages.