This paper reports the findings of an archival and field study that explores the details of the design and functioning of a complex performance evaluation and incentive system, one that bases incentive payouts on both organizational and individual performance ratings. The archival data include...

We examine the extent to which firms use past performance as a basis for setting earnings targets in their bonus plans and assess the implications of such targets for managerial incentives. We find that high-profitability firms commonly reduce earnings targets when their managers fail to meet...

Recent studies have shown that the congruence (i.e. value relevance) of accounting earnings-based measures of performance (e.g., earnings, residual income) has been declining significantly over an extended period of time. We confirm this prior finding, and examine the implications of poor...

This study empirically examines two basic questions. First, where and why do firms make greater or lesser use of subjectivity in the performance evaluations that lead to annual bonuses? Second, what are the effects of greater or lesser use of subjectivity on employee pay satisfaction? We examine...