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Is Capping Executive Bonuses Useful?

Kentaro Asai

No 2016/196, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: This paper develops a theoretical framework to study the impact of bonus caps on banks’ risk taking. In the model, labor market price adjustments can offset the direct effects of bonus caps. The calibrated model suggests that bonus caps are only effective when bank executives’ mobility is restricted. It also suggests, irrespective of the degree of labor market mobility, bonus caps simultaneously reduce risk shifting by bank executives (too much risk taking because of limited liability), but aggravate underinvestment (bank executives foregoing risky but productive projects). Hence, the welfare effects of bonus caps critically depend on initial conditions, including the relative importance of risk shifting versus underinvestment.

Keywords: WP; labor market; executive compensation; risk taking; risk shifting; underinvestment; asset return volatility; payoff schedule; market portfolio; base pay; composite index; incentive contract; schedule of shareholder; Bonuses; Labor markets; Labor mobility; Commercial banks; Asia and Pacific; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37
Date: 2016-09-29
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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