When he, representing the de facto shareholders the American taxpayers, found the executive compensation plans were out of line with the objectives of said shareholders, he acted.
In the free market system, this is the only response. Shareholders have rights and duties as the owners of companies. The executive team acts as their agents. The shareholders have not only the right but the capability to fire boards of directors and by extension executives whose compensation does not match their performance. The public outcry with respect to excessive compensation typically occurs when shareholders neglect their duty. Yet, there are examples where the shareholders have upheld their duty. These firms -- the majority -- do not make headlines, giving the impression that executive compensation is a rampant problem in society. If a company dares to pay bonuses will laying off workers or reducing their wages, the outcry hits the front page. However, the system as a whole is working well.
Arguments based on the pay disparity between executives and rank-and-file are largely emotional in nature. However, they are not entirely without merit. Executive compensation has been to some extent driven higher than it should by the irrational quest for the charismatic leader. Too many firms view executive talent as a genuinely scarce resource, which causes them to overpay top executives (Lagace & Khurana, 2002). Even Mehran (1995) readily admitted that it was not the size of the paycheck that determined managerial performance, but rather its structure. Like all irrational bubbles, however, the bubble that leads to excessive executive compensation will burst. The factors are already in place. The tax incentives on equity-based compensation have been removed and shareholder rights legislation has been improved as well. The rise of the institutional shareholder only heightens the ability of owners to reign in executive salaries and bonuses. Smart owners like Buffett already do.
Models of executive compensation are already shifting. Rational shareholders realize what has already been proven, that returns are lower with high executive compensation that encourages short-term risk...
" (Moseley, 1) From a project management standpoint, delegating these funds is a significant concern. The recent history of government financial mismanagement, has caused the public some rightful wariness as these massive bailout plans come to fruition. The Obama Administration must devise a strategy which ensures that these bailout funds are designed to protect American homes, stimulate job creation and help to improve the infrastructural stability of the nation. The administration has the unenviable task of prioritizing the countless
Automotive Bailout: The three major firms in the United States automotive industry asked the government for a bailout worth $34 billion in December 2008 in order to avoid bankruptcy. These companies asked for the bailout from government because their demise could result in approximately 3 million layoffs within a year, a measure that could plunge the American economy further into economic recession. These three major firms in the American automotive industry
The second recommendation I would make with respect to external communications is that Liddy adopt more stringent measures than the government has insisted upon with respect to spending controls. The government has set out some measures, but AIG should be tougher than that. This would demonstrate a sense of culpability on the part of the company for the fact that the situation it is in is of its own making.
From all facts and appearances, those Enron executives gave lip service to ethics, then went on their own way, making as much profit as they could while the company teetered on collapse. One final example from Enron's "Code of Ethics" is titled "Twenty-Twenty Hindsight" which carries its own irony without delving into its points. Lay writes on page 10 that if any employees' security activities or transactions "become the subject
An American who spent sometime in Germany recounted his experience [Will Higher Gasoline Prices Inspire Lifestyle Changes, 2001] of energy prices in that country, "When I lived in Germany, the price of gasoline went from the equivalent of $2.50 per gallon to $3.25 per gallon over night. The Bundesregierung had added another $0.75/gallon gas tax, in addition to the existing $2.00 per gallon gas tax. (That's right: $2.75 out of
Enron Corporation was the American company that specialized in supplying of energy. Prior to its collapse in 2001, Enron was one of the most admired companies in the United States recording superior profits year by year, however, in 2001, series of the Enron questionable financial transactions were finally made opened when the company's stock price collapsed within one day. This study investigates several factors that led to the fall of Enron
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