We examine whether pay differentials between the chief executive officer (CEO) and vice presidents (VPs) can be explained by firms’ strategic priorities. We find that firms that pursue prospector-type strategies have a larger CEO−VP difference in equity compensation. We argue that such a pay...

This paper investigates the effects of performance-vested stock options (PVSOs) in aligning management interests and shareholder wealth. Using 4238 executive-level observations for 1383 executive directors from the largest 244 UK non-financial firms over the 1999-2004 period, we find that the...

This study examines the relationship between outside directors’ equity-based compensation (DEC) and stock price crash risk using a sample of U.S. firms from 2008 to 2021. We find that DEC is associated with lower crash risk, primarily through its role in reducing over-investment, financial...