2006). Ironically, the diffusion of these instruments – in Italy and in other countries, such as Germany (Bernhardt, 1999), Spain (Alvarez Perez and Neira Fontela, 2005), and Japan (Nagaoka, 2005) – took place when they were strongly debated in the US for their unpredicted consequences and the malpractices associated with their use (Bebchuk et al., 2002).
4.The Rationales Explaining the Adoption of Equity Incentive Plans
Equity incentive plans are a main component of executive compensation in the US. Their use is mostly founded on the argument that they give managers an incentive to act in the shareholders’ interests by providing a direct link between their compensation and firm stock-price performance (Jensen and Murphy, 1990). Beyond that, equity incentive plans also have other positive features, as they may contribute to the attraction and retention of highly motivated employees, encourage beneficiaries to take risks, and reduce direct cash expenses for executive compensation (Hall and Murphy, 2003).
Despite all their positive features, the use of equity incentive plans is increasingly debated in the US. In particular, critics question their presumed effectiveness in guaranteeing the alignment of executives’ and shareholders’ interests. They point out that these instruments may be adopted to fulfill other objectives, such as to extract value at shareholders expenses (e.g., Bebchuk and Fried, 2006), or even to achieve a (real or perceived) reduction in compensation costs (e.g., Murphy, 2002). In summary, the actual debate indicates that three different rationales may explain the dissemination and the specific features of equity incentive plans:1) the optimal contracting view (Jensen and Murphy,1990 );2) the rent extraction view (Bebchuk et al., 2002); and 3)the perceived-cost view (Hall and Murphy, 2003).
According to the optimal contracting view, executive compensation packages are designed to minimize agency costs between top managers (agents) and shareholders (principals) (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). The boards of directors are effective governance mechanisms aimed at maximizing shareholder value and the top
management’s compensation scheme is designed to serve this objective (Fama and Jensen, 1983). Providing managers with equity incentive plans may mitigate managerial self-interest by aligning the interests of managers and shareholders (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). Following the alignment rationale, equity incentives may improve firm performance, as managers are supposed to work for their own and shareholders’ benefit (Jensen and Murphy, 1990). In short, these instruments are designed to align the interests of managers with those of shareholders, and to motivate the former to pursue the creation of share value (Jensen and Murphy, 1990).
4.1 the principle of equity incentive
Managers and shareholders is a delegate agency relationship managers operating in assets under management, shareholders entrusted. But in fact, in the agency relationship, the contract between the asymmetric information, shareholders and managers are not completely dependent on the manager's moral self-discipline. The pursuit of the goals of shareholders and managers is inconsistent. Shareholders want to maximize the equity value of its holdings of managers who want to maximize their own utility, so the \through incentive and restraint mechanisms to guide and limit the behavior of managers.
In a different way of incentives, wages based on the manager's qualification conditions and company, the target performance of a predetermined relatively stable in a certain period of time, a very close relationship with the company's target performance. Bonuses generally super-goal performance assessment to determine the part of the revenue manager performance is closely related with the company's short-term performance, but with the company's long-term value of the relationship is not obvious, the manager for short-term financial indicators at the expense of the company long-term interests. But from the point of view of shareholders' investment, he was more concerned with long-term increase in the value of the company. Especially for growth-oriented companies, the value of the manager's more to reflect the increase in the company's long-term value, rather than just short-term financial
indicators.
In order to make the managers are concerned about the interests of shareholders need to make the pursuit of the interests of managers and shareholders as consistent as possible. In this regard, the equity incentive is a better solution. By making the manager holds an equity interest in a certain period of time, to enjoy the value-added benefits of equity risk in a certain way, and to a certain extent, you can make managers more concerned about the long-term value of the company in the business process. Equity incentive incentive and restraint to prevent short-term behavior of the manager, to guide its long-term behavior.
4.2 Equity Incentive mode
(1) The performance of stock
Refers to a more reasonable performance targets at the beginning of the year, if the incentive object to the end to achieve the desired goal, the company granted a certain number of shares or to extract a reward fund to buy company stock. The flow of performance shares realized that usually have the time and number restrictions. Another performance of the stock in the operation and role relative to similar long-term incentive performance units and performance stock difference is that the performance shares granted stock, performance units granted cash. (2) stock options
Refers to a company the right to grant incentive target incentive object can purchase a certain amount of the outstanding shares of the Company at a predetermined price within a specified period may be waived this right. The exercise of stock options have the time and limit the number of cash and the need to motivate the objects on their own expenditure for the exercise. Some of our listed companies in the application of virtual stock options are a combination of phantom stock and stock options, the Company granted incentive object is a virtual stock options, incentive objects rights, phantom stock. (3) virtual stock
That the company awarded the incentive target a virtual stock incentive objects
which enjoy a certain amount of the right to dividends and stock appreciation gains, but not ownership, without voting rights, can not be transferred and sold, expire automatically when you leave the enterprise. (4) stock appreciation rights
Means the incentive target of a right granted to the company's share price rose, the incentive object can be obtained through the exercise with the corresponding number of stock appreciation gains, the incentive objects do not have to pay cash for the exercise, exercise, get cash or the equivalent in shares of companies . (5) restricted stock
Refers to the prior grant incentive target a certain number of company shares, but the source of the stock, selling, etc. There are some special restrictions, generally only when the incentive object to accomplish a specific goal (eg, profitability), the incentive target in order to sell restricted stock and benefit from it. (6) The deferred payment
Refers to a package of salary income plan designed to motivate object, which part of the equity incentive income, equity incentive income was issued, but according to the fair market value of the company's shares to be converted into the number of shares after a certain period of time, the form of company stock or when the stock market value in cash paid to the incentive target. (7) the operator / employee-owned
Means the incentive target to hold a certain number of the company's stock, the stock is a free gift incentive target, or object of company subsidy incentives to buy, or incentive target is self-financed the purchase. Incentive objects can benefit from appreciation in the stock losses in the devaluation of the stock. (8)Management / employee acquisition
Means to leverage financing to the company's management or all employees to purchase shares of the Company, to become shareholders of the Company and other shareholders of risk and profit sharing, to change the company's ownership structure, control over the structure and asset structure, to achieve ownership business. (9) The book value appreciation rights
Divided into specific buy and virtual two. Purchase type refers to the incentive target in the beginning of the period per share net asset value of the actual purchase of a certain number of shares, end of period value of the net assets per share at the end of the period and then sold back to the company. Virtual type incentive target in the beginning of the period without expenditure of funds granted by the Company on behalf of the incentive target a certain number of shares calculated at the end of the period, according to the increment of the net assets per share and the number of shares in the name of the proceeds to stimulate the object, and accordingly to incentive target payment in cash.
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