Does Corporate Size Influence CEO Incentives? Case of Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Listed Companies

Abstract

The study sought to analyse the alignment of Chief Executive Officers (CEO) s’ incentives to corporate size (Sales / Revenue) in Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) listed companies in 2009 to 2010 trading years. The research was motivated by the results of various findings from previous researches mostly in developed countries. The findings had results ranging from a negative relationship, no relationship, disappearing relationship to a positive relationship being observed. Some of these researches failed to give results because of total lack of information on directors’ fees. Quantitative data was analysed using simple regression model and Chi Square Test. Correlation coefficients were also calculated. The research found a very weak positive relationship between CEO incentives and corporate size and that the link is quickly weakening towards a no relationship if not a negative relationship. The basis for the setting and changes in CEO incentives for the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed companies remains a mystery. Information on CEO incentives was unexpectedly very scarce. This resulted in the Chi Square Test results at 5% significant level suggesting that the different sample sizes used could have influenced the research findings – the fall in the relationship.

Key words: CEO Incentives; Firm Size; Corporate Performance