Executive Incentives and Corporate Decisions: The Risk Management Channel
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Graduate group
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Corporate Governance
Risk Management
Insurance
Finance
Finance and Financial Management
Insurance
Labor Economics
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Abstract
This paper provides evidence that insurance executives respond to their compensation incentives by adjusting observable risk-management policy variables – the reinsurance purchase decision, type of business conducted, and firm leverage. Executive incentives are modeled by the executive sensitivity of wealth to stock price (Delta) and stock volatility (Vega). Firms respond to increased executive incentives to bear risk by purchasing less reinsurance, but also conducting less business in long-tailed lines – a change which rewards the executive through increased market volatility. The cost of altering executive incentives to effect firm policy is much less than a similar change in firm structural variables.
Advisor
Scott Harrington
John Core