Peer group benchmarking, which compares executive compensation contracts against a group of similar companies, is a widely used yet heavily debated technique for setting executive compensation. Critics argue that it has produced an increase in top executive compensation. Prior research indeed...

Principals make decisions on various issues, ranging from contract design to control system implementation. Few studies examine the principal's active role in these decisions. We experimentally investigate this role by studying how a principal's choice for a truth-telling incentive contract,...

Principals make decisions on various issues, ranging from contract design to control system implementation. Few studies examine the principal’s active role in these decisions. We experimentally investigate this role by studying how a principal’s choice for a truth-telling incentive contract,...

This study experimentally examines whether task-specific experience acquired by managers influences their reliance on performance-based contracts to motivate employees in a setting in which the employee’s task can spark intrinsic motivation. Building on experiential learning theory, we predict...