Explaining Attitudes toward Executive Pay: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Esra BURAK; Erin CUMBERWORTH

doi:10.1080/00380253.2019.1711261

Explaining Attitudes toward Executive Pay: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Esra BURAK, Erin CUMBERWORTH

Department of Sociology and Social Policy

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of several factors, including performance, on attitudes toward high executive pay. We ask: would people agree on whether a CEO’s pay is too high or too low, fair or unfair, and right or wrong, if they could be more certain than typically possible regarding a CEO’s relevant contributions? Using data from a population-based survey experiment (N = 1,170), we find that the effects of a CEO’s inputs are small next to the effects of predispositions (e.g. core values people bring to the issue), with implications for how pay at the top is justified.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	631-655
Number of pages	25
Journal	Sociological Quarterly
Volume	61
Issue number	4
Early online date	5 Feb 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2019.1711261
Publication status	Published - 1 Oct 2020

Bibliographical note

This research was fully supported by an Early Career Scheme (ECS) grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Funding Reference No: LU 23601615].
The authors wish to thank David B. Grusky, Michael J. Rosenfeld, Cristobal Young, Paul Sniderman, Michael Tomz, Michelle Jackson. A previous version of this paper was presented at the RC28 Summer meeting in Columbia University, New York.

Keywords

Income inequality
attitudes
distributive justice

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1080/00380253.2019.1711261

Cite this

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title = "Explaining Attitudes toward Executive Pay: Evidence from a Survey Experiment",

abstract = "This paper examines the effects of several factors, including performance, on attitudes toward high executive pay. We ask: would people agree on whether a CEO{\textquoteright}s pay is too high or too low, fair or unfair, and right or wrong, if they could be more certain than typically possible regarding a CEO{\textquoteright}s relevant contributions? Using data from a population-based survey experiment (N = 1,170), we find that the effects of a CEO{\textquoteright}s inputs are small next to the effects of predispositions (e.g. core values people bring to the issue), with implications for how pay at the top is justified.",

keywords = "Income inequality, attitudes, distributive justice",

author = "Esra BURAK and Erin CUMBERWORTH",

note = "This research was fully supported by an Early Career Scheme (ECS) grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Funding Reference No: LU 23601615]. The authors wish to thank David B. Grusky, Michael J. Rosenfeld, Cristobal Young, Paul Sniderman, Michael Tomz, Michelle Jackson. A previous version of this paper was presented at the RC28 Summer meeting in Columbia University, New York.",

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N2 - This paper examines the effects of several factors, including performance, on attitudes toward high executive pay. We ask: would people agree on whether a CEO’s pay is too high or too low, fair or unfair, and right or wrong, if they could be more certain than typically possible regarding a CEO’s relevant contributions? Using data from a population-based survey experiment (N = 1,170), we find that the effects of a CEO’s inputs are small next to the effects of predispositions (e.g. core values people bring to the issue), with implications for how pay at the top is justified.

AB - This paper examines the effects of several factors, including performance, on attitudes toward high executive pay. We ask: would people agree on whether a CEO’s pay is too high or too low, fair or unfair, and right or wrong, if they could be more certain than typically possible regarding a CEO’s relevant contributions? Using data from a population-based survey experiment (N = 1,170), we find that the effects of a CEO’s inputs are small next to the effects of predispositions (e.g. core values people bring to the issue), with implications for how pay at the top is justified.

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KW - distributive justice

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DO - 10.1080/00380253.2019.1711261

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Explaining Attitudes toward Executive Pay: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Attitudes toward Top Incomes in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the United States (香港,中國及美國民眾對當地最高收入的看法)

Attitudes toward executive pay : evidence from a survey experiment

Cite this

Explaining Attitudes toward Executive Pay: Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Attitudes toward Top Incomes in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the United States (香港,中國及美國民眾對當地最高收入的看法)

Research output

Attitudes toward executive pay : evidence from a survey experiment

Cite this