The present research has been undertaken to study the role of ownership type and board mechanisms in moderating the executive pay-corporate performance linkage in the Indian context. A sample of 209 companies listed on the S&P BSE 500 Index has been studied over the period 2008-2009 to 2012-2013. Rigorous statistical analysis of the panel data highlights that some of the governance mechanisms are, in practice, instrumental in improving the relationship between pay and performance. Whereas efforts must, indeed, be channelled towards the better functioning of certain other internal control mechanisms. Specifically, of noteworthy consequence is the difference in the way the shareholders and the board of directors ameliorate the pay-performance relationship with respect to accounting vis-à-vis marketbased corporate performance. Further, the weak monitoring role discharged by the institutional investors warrant immediate policy concern. The study brings forth important implications for practitioners and policy makers in designing corporate performance-based pay keeping in view the predominant influence exerted by the institutional environment of the emerging economy of India.

Purpose As widely known and well established, strategic decision-making at family firms is an interface between business interests and family considerations. The purpose of this paper is to understand the underlying basis of decision-making in setting corporate strategy and designing chief executive officer (CEO) compensation at founder- vis-à-vis descendant-led family firms in the Indian pharmaceutical sector. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 106 BSE-listed pharmaceutical companies have been studied over the period 2012–2017 resulting in a total of 636 firm-year observations. Impact of family involvement in business (FIB) on corporate strategy and CEO compensation has been analysed by constructing multivariate panel data regression models. To deal with the problem of endogeneity, Arellano-Bond (1991) dynamic panel data estimation procedure has moreover been conducted. Findings Supporting stewardship theory, founder-owned and governed firms have been found to favour “growth” strategy and distribute “conservative” executive pay, thereby exerting a positive moderating impact on the strategy-compensation linkage. On the contrary, descendants/second-generation entrepreneurs have put forth a “conservative” stance for growth and innovation, and have rather been observed to favour a “liberal” compensation policy, thereby showcasing the application of behavioural agency theory. Originality/value The research is a novel attempt to unravel the interaction between corporate strategy and CEO compensation in a family firm backdrop carried out in the context of an emerging economy. The study, moreover, adopted an all-encompassing definition of FIB (ownership, management and governance).

Ensuring effective and fair determination of executive compensation is complex, though equally essential for protecting the interests of shareholders and in creating long-term corporate value. The present study attempts to unravel the perceptions of executives and investors in terms of the determinants on which executive compensation ought to be based in the context of corporate India. The main research instrument is a quantitative questionnaire through which the responses of 74 top executives and 55 investors have been examined. Results highlight statistically significant mean differences in the perception of executives and investors with regards to the determinants of executive compensation. Further, the underlying dimensions representing pay determinants vary for executives and investors with the former regarding corporate governance and human capital as important, while the latter emphasising on the primacy of ownership and leverage. The article offers valuable insight as it proposes a comprehensive set of determinants of executive compensation by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives.

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