Therefore, we use the sample of XiZu JiTuan during 2003–2011 in China, including 271 XiZu JiTuan and
4124 firm-year observations, to examine subsidiaries’ executive compensation in business groups.
Specifically, if there are two listed subsidiaries in the same business group, named firm A and firm B, then
we examine whether the executive compensation of firm A is influenced by the performance of firm B, in
addition to firm A’s performance and other characteristics. Our empirical research provides a positive
answer. We find that, in the same business group, the executive compensation of one listed subsidiary is
not only decided by its own performance but is also based on the performance of other listed subsidiaries
or their relative performance ranking. When the change in performance of one listed subsidiary is relatively
lower than that of other subsidiaries in the same business group, the change in executive compensation is
significantly lower, which means that the relative performance evaluation (RPE) mechanism exists in decisions
about executive compensation in business groups. However, our further research shows that the RPE
mechanism in business groups exists more obviously only when business groups are private or the level of
marketization is high.