This paper analyzes the optimal design of stock option vesting conditions when the CEO faces a risk of being replaced at an interim date. First, I show that long vesting terms do not necessarily discourage but in fact can encourage short-termism. Second, the model demonstrates that the optimal...

Corporations have been criticized for providing executives with excessive incentives to focus on short-term performance. This paper shows that investment in short-term projects has beneficial effects in that it provides early feedback about CEO talent, which leads to more efficient CEO...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) imposed stringent requirements on corporate executives to hold them more accountable for their management decisions. This act has ramifications for executive pay as well. This study investigates the lessening effects of SOX on the association between...