Performance Measures in CEO Annual Bonus Contracts*

This paper investigates the compensation usefulness of accounting variables along several important dimensions (accruals-based vs. cash-flows based, non-return vs. return, and gross vs. net measures), as well as the time series variation of performance measures in CEO bonus plans, using a unique panel of manually collected CEO bonus determinants spanning fiscal years 2006 to 2011. We document that net accruals-based measures (e.g., earnings) are used as the primary measures, supplemented with gross (sales) and cash flows measures (e.g., operating cash flows). Consistent with agency theory, cash flows measures are more useful for firms with more liquidity concerns and longer CEO employment horizons; and accounting returns (sales) are less (more) useful for growth firms. We also document significant time series variation in the choice of performance measures. The time series variation is driven by accounting underperformance in the previous year, as well as changes in firm fundamentals and CEO.