This study examines the widespread belief that executive pay should reflect firm performance. We compile a hand-collected data set of compensation paid to executive directors of Dutch listed companies and analyze if executive compensation is indeed determined by firm performance. A variety of...

Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) such as Standard & Poor's and Moody's have existed since the beginning of the 20th century. Their main objective is to increase the efficiency of the financial markets by producing ratings expressing the creditworthiness of companies with respect to loans and...

This paper analyses ownership and control structures of Dutch listed companies. Legislation effective since 1992 mandates all shareholders with holdings of 5 percent or more in Dutch companies to disclose their holdings. Our analysis shows that the average ownership stakes of the largest and the...

In this thesis, I explore the topic of chief executive officer (CEO) compensation in UK publicly traded firms. My objective is threefold. First of all, I investigate debt-holders‟ reaction to CEO compensation in terms of the cost of debt financing. Secondly, I examine the possible link between...

This thesis comprises three studies on CEO compensation in the UK. It specifically examines the role of CEO defined-benefit pensions, compensation consultants and CEO stock options.Firstly, research on the role of executive pensions is still at a stage of infancy due to data difficulties...

Emerging economies provide interesting scenarios for examining how institutional context influences the financing behavior of firms. In this study, we examine the capital structure of Chinese listed firms following the Split-Share Structure Reform of 2005. This reform allowed a reduction of...