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Was Adam Smith right?: evidence of compensating differential in CEO pay?

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>01/2016
<mark>Journal</mark>Manchester School
Issue number1
Volume84
Number of pages24
Pages (from-to)1-24
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date17/09/14
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

This paper estimates the compensating differential in CEO pay for the increasing risk of dismissal using contracted severance pay eligibility of the CEO as the main instrument. US CEOs receive a 3 per cent premium in pay for each percentage point increase in the risk of dismissal. In pointing to the dismissal risk as a determinant of CEO pay, these findings contribute to the debate on the recent growth in CEO pay and the potential impacts of governance reforms.