The Public Perception and Normative Valuation of Executive Compensation: An International Comparison

Andreas Kuhn ()
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Andreas Kuhn: Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training

No 5319, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper describes individuals' perceptions and normative valuations of executive compensation using comparable survey data for fifteen OECD member countries. An overwhelming majority of individuals (more than 90%) believes that top executives earn more than they actually deserve. However, there is also substantial variation in the actual and ethical levels of executive compensation, both within and across countries. The empirical analysis further shows that subjective estimates of executive pay are associated with objective measures of inequality and redistribution, and that individuals' perceptions and normative valuations of executive compensation are associated with their more general political preferences.

Keywords: political preferences; subjective wage estimates; executive compensation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D31 D63 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2010-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe and nep-pol
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Citations:

Forthcoming - revised version, using updated and expanded data, published as `International Evidence on the Perception and Normative Valuation of Executive Compensation' in: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2017, 55(1), 112-136

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