Abstract
An interesting puzzle in corporate finance is the weak sensitivity of disciplinary action against CEO to poor firm performance. I show that this weak relation is in part driven by an overlooked alternative to firing, which in practice takes the form of splitting the CEO-Chairman role or demoting the incumbent CEO to the executive Chairman position. I first document that such demotions are a frequently used alternative disciplinary mechanism, accounting for nearly 40% of all involuntary CEO transitions. I further show that the use of this mechanism is concentrated among firms in which the CEO is most entrenched or the cost of firing its CEO is high, i.e. CEOs with firm or industry-specific managerial skills and those with strong long-term performance and weak governance. Market reactions to CEO demotions are positive, on average. Finally, I show that classifying CEO demotions as an alternative form of involuntary turnover magnifies the sensitivity of involuntary turnover to firm performance and eliminates the relation between performance and voluntary turnover.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
