Executive Remuneration Structure and Corporate Firm Value Among 25 Index Listed Firms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya

Authors

  • Omondi Elvis Owino Researcher, Department of Accounting and Finance School of Business, Economics and Tourism Kenyatta University, Kenya
  • Moses Odhiambo Aluoch Lecturer, Department of Accounting and Finance School of Business, Economics and Tourism Kenyatta University, Kenya

Keywords:

Firm Value, Fixed Remuneration, Short-Term Remuneration, Long-Term Remuneration, Financial Leverage

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the effect of executive remuneration structure on corporate firm value among the 25 Index listed firms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The research aimed to determine how fixed remuneration, short-term incentives, and long-term incentives influenced firm value, considering the moderating role of financial leverage.

Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative research design to examine relationships between executive remuneration components and firm value. The target population comprised firms listed under the Nairobi Securities Exchange 25 Share Index over a five-year period from 2018 to 2022. Secondary data were obtained from annual reports and financial statements of the listed companies. Data were analyzed using Econometric Views (EViews) software, applying descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and panel regression.

Findings: The findings indicated that long-term remuneration components had a positive and statistically significant effect on firm value. Conversely, fixed remuneration, short-term incentives, and other executive perks were not statistically significant in explaining variations in firm value. Financial leverage was found to significantly moderate the relationship between executive remuneration and firm value, with higher leverage increasing firm risk and weakening the positive influence of long-term incentives.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study contributes to corporate governance literature by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of executive remuneration structures in enhancing firm value in emerging markets. Practically, it reveals the importance of emphasizing long-term incentive schemes in executive compensation packages. From a policy perspective, the findings offer insights to regulators such as the Capital Markets Authority and corporate remuneration committees.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18999738

References

Abdalkrim, G. (2019), Chief executive officer compensation, corporate governance and performance: evidence from KSA firms, Corporate Governance, 19(6), 1216-1235. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-09-2017-0228

African Financials (2020), The Nairobi Securities Exchange 20 Share Index Profile, Retrieved on 25th April , 2024 https://africanfinancials.com/pt-index/ke-xke20/

Aggarwal, R. and Ghosh, A. (2015). Director’s remuneration and correlation on firm’s performance: A study from the Indian corporate, International Journal of Law and Management, 57(5), 373-399. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-08-2011-0006

Ataunal, L & Aybars, A. (2018). Executive Compensation and Firm Performance: Evidence from An Emerging Country. Finansal Araştırmalar ve Çalışmalar Dergisi, 1, 231-242. https://doi.org/10.14784/marufacd.502127

ASX (2019). ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendation, 4th Ed. Retrieved on 20th April, 2024 https://www.asx.com.au/documents/asx-compliance/cgc-principles-and-recommendations-fourth-edn.pdf

Bebchuk, L.A. and Fried, J.M. (2004). Pay Without Performance: The Unfulfilled Promise of Executive Compensation. Harvard University Press, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=537783

Brooks, C. (2019). Introductory Econometrics for Finance. Singapore: Cambridge University Press.

Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Methods. United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.

Bell, E., Bryman, A., Harley, B. (2022). Business Research Methods. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Chen, C. and Hassan, A. (2022), Management gender diversity, executives’ compensation and firm performance, International Journal of Accounting & Information Management, 30(1) 115-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-05-2021-0109

Cooper, D. R., Schindler, P. S. (2016). Business Research Methods. Philippines: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. India: SAGE Publications.

Das, P. (2019). Econometrics in Theory and Practice: Analysis of Cross Section, Time Series and Panel Data with Stata 15.1. Germany: Springer Nature Singapore.

Elayan, F.A., Lau, J.S.C. And Meyer, T.O. (2003). Executive Incentive Compensation Schemes and Their Impact on Corporate Performance: Evidence From New Zealand Since Compensation Disclosure Requirements Became Effective, Studies in Economics and Finance, 21(1), 54-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb028769

El-Sayed, N., & Elbardan, H. (2016). Executive compensation, corporate governance and corporate performance: evidence from the UK. Journal of Organizational Studies and Innovation, 3(2), 31-49

Elsayed, N., and H. Elbardan. (2018). Investigating the Associations between Executive Compensation and Firm Performance: Agency Theory or Tournament Theory. Journal of Applied Accounting Research 19(2), 245–270.

Fama, E. F., and Jensen. M. C. (1983). Separation of Ownership and Control. Journal of Law and Economics, 26(2), 301-325.

FRC (2016). The UK Corporate Governance Code, Retrieved on 22nd March, 2024 https://www.frc.org.uk/getattachment/ca7e94c4-b9a9-49e2-a824-ad76a322873c/uk-corporate-governance-code-april-2016.pdf

Gibbs, M. (1995). Incentive Compensation in a Corporate Hierarchy. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 19, 247-277.

Groysberg, B., Abbott, S., Marion, M and Aksoy, M (2021). Compensation Packages That Actually Drive Performance. Retrieved on 21st Feb, 2024 https://hbr.org/2021/01/compensation-packages-that-actually-drive-performance

Grossman S., and Hart O. (1982). Corporate financial structure and management incentives. The economics of information and uncertainty pp. 107–140

Hill, R.C., Griffiths, W. E. and Lim, G. C. (2018). Principles of Econometrics. United Kingdom: Wiley.

Jensen, M and Murphy, K (1990). CEO Incentives—It’s Not How Much You Pay, But How, Retrieved on 22nd March, 2024 https://hbr.org/1990/05/ceo-incentives-its-not-how-much-you-pay-but-how

Jensen, M. C. and Murphy, K. J (1990). Performance Pay and Top-Management Incentives. Journal of Political Economy. 98, 225-264.

Jensen, M.C. (1986). Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers. American Economic Review, 76(2),323-329.

Jensen, M.C., and Meckling. W. H. (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3, 305-360.

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. India: New Age International (P) Limited.

Lazear, E. and Rosen, S. (1981). Rank-Order Tournaments as Optimum Labor Contracts, Journal of Political Economy, 89(5), 841-864.

Manders, T (2013). Executive compensation structure and company performance. Tilburg University. Dissertation.

Marzinzik, R. (2021). The relationship between CEO’ remuneration and firm performance: Evidence from ATX and DAX (Order No. 29357451). Available from ProQuest One Academic. (2724233397). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/relationship-between-ceo-remuneration-firm/docview/2724233397/se-2

Mehran, H. (1995). Executive compensation structure, ownership, and firm performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 38(2), 163–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(94)00809-F

Miller, D and Sardais, C. (2011). Angel Agents: Agency Theory Reconsidered. Academy of Management, 25, 6–13, https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.25.2.6

Mironski, J and Dembowski, R. (2017). Executive Compensation: Its Structure, Links to Company Performance, Executives' Perception, and International Differences. Journal of Management and Financial Sciences, (29), 47-72.

Mohammed, S, Ibrahim, A. U., and Maitala, F. (2023) Effect of Executive Compensation on Financial Performance of Listed Non-Financial Firms in Nigeria, International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8(5), 1-23

Mugenda, A. & Mugenda O. (2003). Research Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Nairobi University Press.

Mugenda, A.G. (2008). Social Science Research. Nairobi: Acts Press.

NSE (2020). Ground Rules for Generation of Nse 25 Share Index, https://www.nse.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/groundrules-nse-25-share-index_-v1.3.pdf

Nzunga, D. J., Koori, J. & Kimutai, C. (2022). Executive Reward Structure and Financial Performance of Listed Companies in the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya. Journal of Finance and Accounting, 6(3), 21-39. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4057

Ozgen, S., Mooney, A., & Zhou, Y. (2024). CEO Power: A Review, Critique, and Future Research Directions. Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063241241302

Rosen, S. (1986). Prizes and incentives in elimination tournaments. The American Economic Review, 76, 701-715

Rakesh H., & Lakshmi P. (2013). Capital structure on agency costs: Evidence from Indian public companies. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 15(1), 50–53.

Sanders, W.M., (1999). Incentive structure of CEO stock option pay and stock ownership: the moderating effects of firm risk. Managerial Finance, 25, 61 – 75

Santos, M. A. J. (2018). Executive compensation and firm value (Order No. 30230103). Available from ProQuest One Academic. (2778644611). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/executive-compensation-firm-value/docview/2778644611/se-2

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2015). Research Methods for Business Students. Germany: Pearson Education.

Talavera, O., Yin, S. and Zhang, M. (2021). Tournament incentives, age diversity and firm performance. Journal of Empirical Finance, 61, 139-162.

Tarkovska, V.V. (2017). CEO pay slice and firm value: evidence from UK panel data. Review of Behavioral Finance, 9(1), 43-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/RBF-12-2014-0053

Tarus, E.K., Basweti, K., and Nyaoga, R.B (2014). The Relationship between Executive Compensation and Financial Performance of Insurance Companies in Kenya, Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, 5(1), 113-122

Waldman, M. (2013). Classic Promotion Tournaments Versus Market-Based Tournaments. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 31, 198-210.

Weisbach, M.S (2006). Optimal Executive Compensation Vs. Managerial Power: A Review of Lucian Bebchuk and Jesse Fried's "Pay Without Performance: The Unfulfilled Promise of Executive Compensation, Working Paper 12798 http://www.nber.org/papers/w12798

Wijeweera, A. Rampling, P & Eddie, I (2022) Executive remuneration and firm financial performance: lessons from listed companies in Australia and implications for their APEC counterparts, Asia Pacific Business Review, 28(2), 260-272, https://doi.org/10.1080/13602381.2022.2013614

Published

2026-03-13

How to Cite

Owino, O. E., & Aluoch, M. O. (2026). Executive Remuneration Structure and Corporate Firm Value Among 25 Index Listed Firms at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Kenya. International Academic Journal of Economic and Financial Research, 3(1), 1–22. Retrieved from https://academicpubs.org/ojs33/index.php/IAJEFR/article/view/65