portfolio. Tying that compensation to the firm's earnings (versus paying salary) increases the variance of the returns on the manager's portfolio. Given that top managers are risk averse and not well diversified, they require (and are apparently paid) greater compensation on average when their firm has a bonus plan.2 This increased cost accompanying the small tax benefits suggests that additional benefits are necessary to explain the existence of bonus plans (e.g., incentive benefits).
The fact that division managers’ bonuses depend on division earnings reinforces the foregoing conclusion. The variance of the division managers’ portfolio returns increases less if the bonus is tied to the firm's earnings than if it is tied to the division's earnings (diversification reduces risk). Hence, if tax benefits are the sole reason for bonus plans, we would not expect division managers' bonuses to be tied to their divisions' performances. However, under the incentive hypothesis, we expect division managers' compensations to depend on their divisions' performances.
Which Firms Use Accounting Earnings-Based Plans?
Research explaining why some firms use earnings-based plans and others do not is sparse. We know from Conference Board studies (e.g., Conference Board, 1979) that the frequency of use of such plans varies by industry. For example, a greater proportion of manufacturing firms than retail firms use bonus plans. However, we do not have a theory to explain why manufacturing firms are more likely to use a bonus plan than retail firms. Nevertheless, we can think of intuitively plausible hypotheses about which firms use earnings-based plans. One such hypothesis is suggested by the analysis in the preceding section and Chapter 8. V
For bonus plans to provide the manager with an incentive to maximize firm value, the performance index in the bonus calculation (earnings) must be correlated with the effect of the manager's actions on the value of the firm. Ceteris paribus, the greater the correlation between earnings and the effect of a given manager's actions on the value of the firm, the more likely an earnings-based bonus plan will be used to reward the manager. For example, one would not expect a high correlation between the accounting earnings of a research and development firm and the manager's effect on its market value! So we would expect bonus plans to be less frequently used by such firms (see Smith and Watts, 1984).
See conference board (1979) for evidence that managers of firms with bonus plans are paid more. An alternative hypothesis is that managers’ marginal products are higher in industries that have bonus plans.
portfolio. Tying that compensation to the firm's earnings (versus paying salary) increases the variance of the returns on the manager's portfolio. Given that top managers are risk averse and not well diversified, they require (and are apparently paid) greater compensation on average when their firm has a bonus plan.2 This increased cost accompanying the small tax benefits suggests that additional benefits are necessary to explain the existence of bonus plans (e.g., incentive benefits).
The fact that division managers’ bonuses depend on division earnings reinforces the foregoing conclusion. The variance of the division managers’ portfolio returns increases less if the bonus is tied to the firm's earnings than if it is tied to the division's earnings (diversification reduces risk). Hence, if tax benefits are the sole reason for bonus plans, we would not expect division managers' bonuses to be tied to their divisions' performances. However, under the incentive hypothesis, we expect division managers' compensations to depend on their divisions' performances.
Which Firms Use Accounting Earnings-Based Plans?
Research explaining why some firms use earnings-based plans and others do not is sparse. We know from Conference Board studies (e.g., Conference Board, 1979) that the frequency of use of such plans varies by industry. For example, a greater proportion of manufacturing firms than retail firms use bonus plans. However, we do not have a theory to explain why manufacturing firms are more likely to use a bonus plan than retail firms. Nevertheless, we can think of intuitively plausible hypotheses about which firms use earnings-based plans. One such hypothesis is suggested by the analysis in the preceding section and Chapter 8. V
For bonus plans to provide the manager with an incentive to maximize firm value, the performance index in the bonus calculation (earnings) must be correlated with the effect of the manager's actions on the value of the firm. Ceteris paribus, the greater the correlation between earnings and the effect of a given manager's actions on the value of the firm, the more likely an earnings-based bonus plan will be used to reward the manager. For example, one would not expect a high correlation between the accounting earnings of a research and development firm and the manager's effect on its market value! So we would expect bonus plans to be less frequently used by such firms (see Smith and Watts, 1984).
See conference board (1979) for evidence that managers of firms with bonus plans are paid more. An alternative hypothesis is that managers’ marginal products are higher in industries that have bonus plans.
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