1. The Impacts of Incentive Contracts and Hormones on Risk Taking
- Author
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Desmoulins-Lebeault, François, Gajewski, Jean-François, Meunier, Luc, GEM Recherche, EESC-GEM Grenoble Ecole de Management, Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan, Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (UJML), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon, ESSCA Research Lab, and Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers (ESSCA)
- Subjects
Economics and Econometrics ,Executive compensation ,Risk aversion ,[SHS.GESTION]Humanities and Social Sciences/Business administration ,Testosterone ,EFM Classification Codes: 110, 120, 720 ,Cortisol ,Finance ,[SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences - Abstract
International audience; Classic corporate finance literature often emphasizes executive incentives, such as stock options, as a way to encourage risk-averse executives to adopt more risk-neutral stances. Behavioral finance studies also note the potential impact of personality variables. In a further step, the current study suggests the relevance of human biology, in the form of hormones, for predicting risk-taking. Experimental results affirm that stock-options contracts drive risk-neutral behavior, mainly due to a shift in focus from losses to gains. Among women, lower testosterone levels and higher cortisol levels encourage greater risk-taking; for men, the findings indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between testosterone and risk-taking. These impacts are comparable in degree to the effects of contracts, for both their predictive power and economic effect. By establishing the impact of biological variables on risk-taking, this study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive behavioral approach to contract setting.
- Published
- 2023
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