Compensation Policies Research Articles

Gas extraction governmentality: The depoliticization of Groningen's extractive territorialization

The Dutch Northeastern province of Groningen has attracted national and international attention for being situated on top of Europe's biggest gas field. Decades of gas extraction have caused human-made gasquakes that have become highly politicized as they have resulted in the damage of thousands of houses, messy compensation policies, unsafe living situations, an intense situation of social and psychological desperation, and deep political distrust. An issue that has, however, been mostly absent from political debates is the fact that the gas extraction has also caused land subsidence with major implications for the area's water systems. In this article, we investigate the depoliticizing governmentality techniques of Groningen's extractive territorialization. In doing so, we differentiate how the same governmentality techniques have mostly depoliticized gas extraction-land subsidence while they have failed to depoliticize the gasquakes. We nuance the complex power dynamics (i.e., simultaneous de- and re-politicization), socio-material transformation processes (i.e., land subsidence and gasquakes), and institutional dynamics (i.e., public water management and private compensation organizations) evoked by extractive transformations. We argue that the extractive alliance's land subsidence-governmentalities reflect a subtle re-ordering of territorial control. Yet, we also highlight the limits, contestations, and contingency of extractive governmentalization. We unravel how an understanding of power as simultaneously unintentional and intentional informs our analysis. We show how the extractive alliance benefits from the interplay of power strategies, yet not without being strongly contested by local inhabitants and social movements.

Horizontal ecological compensation policy and water pollution governance: Evidence from cross-border cooperation in China

Cross-border cooperation can overcome the administrative boundaries of water pollution governance, and the two-way ecological compensation model emerges as a solution to transforming government-financed payments into locally-driven development initiatives. This study presents a tripartite evolutionary game model for two-way ecological compensation, incorporating city-level data, and employs time-varying difference-in-differences to estimate the incentive impact of China's cross-border horizontal ecological compensation policy on water pollution governance during 2006–2018. Furthermore, this study aligns state-controlled monitoring stations with their respective administrative districts and enhances water pollution indicators obtained from these stations for a more comprehensive policy assessment. The results show that horizontal ecological compensation effectively reduces the prevalence of industrial wastewater discharges and associated water pollution; this effect is more pronounced upstream (20.94%) compared to downstream (16.01%). However, it does not significantly impact urban sewage treatment, agricultural non-point source pollution, or lake water quality and eutropHication. In addition to promoting horizontal coordination between upstream and downstream regions, vertical central governmental inspections are crucial for effectively stimulating and guaranteeing horizontal collaborative governance between upstream and downstream local governments. These results provide strong empirical evidence in favor of expanding horizontal ecological compensation initiatives throughout the entire river basins, as well as in other countries or regions.

Hiding in plain sight: Surge pricing and strategic providers

Many on‐demand service platforms employ surge pricing policies, charging higher prices and raising provider compensation when customer demand exceeds provider supply. There is increasing evidence that service providers understand these pricing policies and strategically collude to induce artificial supply shortages by reducing the number of providers showing as available online. We study a stylized mathematical model of a setting in which an on‐demand service platform determines its pricing and provider compensation policies, anticipating their impact on customer demand and the participation of strategic providers, who might collectively decide to limit the number of providers showing online as available. We find that collusion can substantially harm the platform and customers, especially when the potential demand is large, and the supply of providers in nearby regions is limited. We explore two pricing policies that a platform could employ in the presence of (potential) provider collusion: a bonus pricing policy that offers additional provider payments on top of the regular compensation and the optimal pricing policy that maximizes the platform's expected profit while taking strategic provider behavior fully into consideration. Both policies feature a compensation structure that ensures that total provider earnings increase in the number of providers available, thereby encouraging all providers to offer their service. We show that both policies can effectively mitigate the impact of potential provider collusion, with the bonus pricing policy often performing near‐optimally. As it might be difficult for a platform to accurately estimate the propensity of providers to collude, we numerically evaluate how platform profits are affected if the pricing policy is designed based on possibly incorrect estimates of the providers' propensity to collude. Our observations suggest that a platform should design its pricing policy under the assumption that all providers are strategic and consider collusion, as the losses associated with implementing such a policy in settings with minor risk of collusion are limited, while the potential losses from failing to consider rampant collusion can be significant.

Gender impact assessment of land acquisition compensation for sustainable environmental management of Wuxikou Hydropower Projects

Reservoir compensation and resettlement are the two important keys for enforced migration for water conservancy projects. For reservoir migrants in China, the most severe loss of inundation is that of land, so land rights are the most critical in land acquisition compensation (LAC). In this study, based on the field survey of Wuxikou reservoir migrants in China, a social relations approach is adopted to analyze the gender gaps in the three dimensions of rules, resources and power in LAC. Besides, the study discusses the causes of gender gaps in LAC of reservoir migrants, both external and internal. External causes include the absence of a gender perspective in land systems design and migration policies, the insufficient implementation of related compensation policies, etc. Similarly, internal causes include a deviation of village rules and customary laws from policies, the patriarchal gender culture of “son preference”, and the marital mobility of virilocal residence. Studies find that gender gaps exist in related local policies and laws, as well as their enforcement. Besides, migrant women lacked participation in rule-making. The distribution of compensation resources was skewed towards men, while migrant women had de facto difficulties in accessing financial compensation, productive lands, and living sites. However, migrant men had more power in the leadership of village affairs, expression in village meetings, and decision-making in family affairs than migrant women. The findings of the study reveal that to bridge the gender gaps of reservoir migrants' rights and socio-economic benefits, governments or development enterprises should reasonably build up an equal gender environment and empower migrant women, which will help to achieve the sustainable development of water projects in China.

Corporate governance mechanisms and renewable energy transition

PurposeThe intensity of carbon emissions has led to the serious problem of global warming, and the consequences in terms of climatic disasters are gaining increasing attention worldwide. As the energy sector is responsible for most global emissions, developing clean energy is crucial to combat climate change. This study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance and renewable energy (RE) consumption and explore the interaction between RE production and RE use.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts an econometric framework of a panel model, followed by the robustness check using alternative methods, including logit regressions. The bivariate probit model is used to analyze the interaction between the decision to use and the decision to produce RE. The analysis is based on a sample of 3,896 firms covering 45 countries worldwide.FindingsThe results reveal that appropriate governance mechanisms positively impact RE consumption. These include the existence of a sustainability committee; environmental, social and governance-based compensation policy; financial performance-based compensation; sustainability external audit; transparency; board gender diversity; and board independence. Firms with appropriate governance mechanisms are more likely to produce and use RE than others. Finally, while RE use positively impacts firm value and environmental performance, the authors find no significant effect on current profitability.Originality/valueThis study goes beyond previous research by exploring the impact of multiple governance mechanisms. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is also the first study examining the relationship between RE use and firm value. Overall, the findings suggest that RE transition requires, first of all, establishing appropriate governance mechanisms within companies.

A Day Late and a Dollar Short: Examining Perceptions of Which Exonerees Deserve Compensation

Many exonerees do not receive compensation from the state after they are released (43%) because most states have exclusionary laws that bar exonerees from receiving compensation (n = 16 states) (Compensation Primer, 2022). This study examined public perceptions of exoneree compensation, exclusionary laws and addressed the broader question of who deserves compensation (according to community members). Online participants (n = 225) read an article about a fictional exoneree who either pleaded guilty or was convicted by a jury trial and who either did or did not have a subsequent conviction. An exoneree with a subsequent conviction was perceived as less deserving of financial compensation (roughly $8,000 less annually) and less deserving of support services. It was rated less positively than an exoneree who did not have a subsequent conviction. No differences were found between an exoneree who pleaded guilty and an exoneree who was convicted by a jury trial, demonstrating little impact of this common exclusionary rule on community members’ perceptions and decisions. Overall, participants overwhelmingly supported exoneree compensation (only 6.7% disagreed). However, there are caveats. Community members are less supportive of compensating exonerees who have subsequent involvement with the justice system. These results illustrate possible biases the public has against an already marginalized population that has experienced a miscarriage of justice. Because public opinion can affect policy change, these results significantly affect state exclusionary rules and exoneree compensation policies.

Determinants of Herders’ Satisfaction with the Grassland Ecosystem Compensation Policy: A Case Study of Gansu Province, China

This study investigated herders’ satisfaction with the implementation effects of the Grassland Ecosystem Compensation Policy (GECP) in Sunan (subsidy hierarchization) and Gannan (subsidy harmonization), China. Survey data from 140 randomly selected herder households were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression to identify the factors influencing herders’ satisfaction. The results showed that in Sunan, 47.89% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the GECP. Their satisfaction positively correlated with changes in native grass, ecological compensation income, and reduced inedible grass. Conversely, it exhibited negative associations with the ethnic background of the household head, livestock numbers, and willingness to relocate. In Gannan, a substantial level of dissatisfaction prevailed (69.57%). However, satisfied herders had connections with changes in native grass, income diversity, and ecological compensation income. Significantly, this study highlights that ecological compensation income and changes in native grass consistently influence herders’ satisfaction regardless of the subsidy design. These findings offer valuable insights for improving herders’ satisfaction with the implementation effects of the GECP in regions with diverse ecological subsidy designs. Additionally, it presents a fresh perspective for scholars to analyze the GECP under different ecological subsidy frameworks further.

Juridical Analysis of Providing Compensation Money for Certain Hours of Work by Outsourcing Companies Based on the Job Creation Constitution

The enactment of the Job Creation Law and its derivative regulations PP No. 35 of 2021, one of which is about contract workers reaping the pros and cons. The Job Creation Law changes, deletes and inserts new Articles in the Manpower Law. Purpose: This provision is something new, so the purpose of this research is to analyze normatively juridically regarding the rules starting from PKWT, Compensation Policy and Compensation according to experts in outsourcing companies. Method: The type of research used in the preparation of this paper is juridical analysis. Result: There is unclear source of funding for compensation and the provision of compensation is considered discriminatory. The source of compensation funding should have become a contribution that must be paid by employers and employers/users and is bound by the provisions of the law. Conclusion: Workers/laborers should be equally entitled to compensation money without any form of discrimination, this is in accordance with what is mandated by the 1945 Law, Article 28I paragraph (2) and Article 38 paragraph (3) of Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Rights Human Rights

Environmental risk exposure and executive pay-for-performance sensitivity

We study how firms adjust the executive's pay-for-performance sensitivity in response to changes in environmental risks. Using the 2017 Environmental Regulation in China as a natural experiment, we show that firms lower their pay-for-performance sensitivity without changing the overall level of compensation when the central government imposes a higher standard of environmental policy. This effect is more pronounced in non-SOEs and firms with higher accounting performance pressure, worse environmental performance, and a stricter legal environment. Our findings highlight how firms adjust compensation contracts based on changes in business risks. It also shows how changes in government regulation (e.g., environmental policy) might affect corporate behavior, such as compensation policy.

Public preferences for social investment versus compensation policies in Social Europe

The recent enactment of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) has significantly strengthened the social dimension of the European Union (EU), including the social investment (SI) elements of that social dimension. What is not known, however, to what extent the priorization of SI is supported by the broader public. To address this research gap, we investigate public opinion on 15 different policy areas from the EPSR using Eurobarometer data from 2020 across all EU countries, asking whether the public rather prefers these policies to be delivered at EU or national level. A principal finding is that the public indeed supports more SI than CP policies with respect to EU-level social policy, and more CP than SI policies with respect to national-level social policy. We also investigate whether socioeconomic status (SES) and welfare state effort can explain this phenomenon. We find that higher socio-economic status and more generous welfare states are associated with more support for SI policies on both EU and national levels and vice versa. The findings emphasize the importance of what policies are provided versus who provides them but also pose a puzzle for trade-offs in multilevel governance settings. Hence, the article has important implications for future research on public opinion and Social Europe.

Improving Organizational Performance Through Compensation Policies, Utilization of Information Technology and Career Development

The influence of compensation policies, use of information technology and employee development on organizational performance is a scientific article from literature studies within the scope of the field of science. The aim of this article is to build a hypothesis of influence between variables that will be used in further research. Research objects in online libraries, Google Scholar, Mendeley and other academic online media. The research library method comes from e-books and open access e-journals. The results of this article: 1) compensation policy influences organizational performance; 2) the use of information technology influences organizational performance; and 3) employee development influences organizational performance. Other factors that influence organizational performance include work climate, decision making and organizational culture.

Compensation assessment practices in expropriation of customary land: Evidence from Malawi

Expropriation of various properties including customary ones requires compensation for the resultant losses suffered. Such compensation is valued based on market value, which assumes exchangeable private property and existence of functioning property markets. This assumption obtains inadequate compensation for customary properties because they do not fundamentally meet these conditions. Thus, this study analyses applicability of compensation theories founded on private land to customary properties in Malawi through a qualitative case study approach. The findings demonstrate that Malawian compensation law is based on indemnity theory and hence market value, whose applicability to customary land suffers from inadequate laws and weak/non-existent property markets. Fundamentally, indemnity compensation is applicable to customary land but current compensation practices obtain inadequate compensation. This calls for other compensation assessment methods to address these issues. Thus, this paper presents the empirical findings of the study, which contributes to compensation theory, empirical literature and policy development.

Techno-economic analysis of residential rooftop photovoltaics in Spain

In response to the European Commission's renewable energy targets for 2030, this study presents a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of the potential for electricity self-consumption in the Spanish residential sector based on rooftop PV systems. Utilizing real-time hourly electricity demand data and various surplus compensation policies, the research highlights the significance of data granularity, indicating that annual data-based PV estimations can lead to rooftop PV self-consumption capacity overestimations when compared to hourly data assessments. Furthermore, geographical variations reveal distinct rooftop PV self-consumption capacities between urban and rural areas, driven mainly by the prevalent building typologies. This discrepancy suggests that while rural regions, with their predominance of single-family dwellings, offer higher PV generation potential due to more available rooftop space, urban areas, dominated by multi-story buildings, face significant constraints in rooftop surface availability. Economically, the current surplus compensation policy in Spain reduces the profitability of PV installations, underscoring the necessity for enhanced policies to fully utilize all the available rooftop areas in the residential sector. The study's findings, particularly the revelation that residential rooftops in Spain may not be enough to meet the current electricity demand, emphasize the need for adaptive, region-specific policies and the potential role of energy communities. Policymakers and industry stakeholders are urged to prioritize rooftop utilization, ensuring the deployment of PV systems is both promoted and economically viable, steering Spain closer to its renewable energy and sustainability aspirations.

Kepuasan Kerja dan Kinerja Karyawan pada Perusahaan Elektronik di Kawasan Industri Jababeka

Research aim: This study aims to find out, 1) the effect of transformational leadership, competence, and compensation on job satisfaction, and 2) the effect of transformational leadership, competence, compensation, and job satisfaction on performance. 
 Design/Method/Approach: This type of research is quantitative. This study uses a survey approach that describes current conditions and answers questions about the characteristics of variables and the influence between variables. The sample selection was carried out by proportionate random sampling technique against 13 companies with 2.758 employees and a sample of 349. The analysis model used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
 Research Findings: The results of the analysis found that transformational leadership, competence, and compensation have a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. Transformational leadership, competence, compensation, and job satisfaction positively and significantly affect employee performance. 
 Theoretical Contribution / Originality: The results of this study enrich the theory of transformational leadership, especially in electronic companies. The results of this study also enrich the discussion of both concepts and theories of competence, compensation policies measuring job satisfaction, and performance in electronic companies.
 Practitioner/Policy implication: The results of this study as a basis for decision-making for stakeholders that the transformational leadership model is very appropriate to be applied to increase job satisfaction and employee performance to increase job satisfaction and employee performance. Increased competence and compensation will increase job satisfaction and employee performance. Employee job satisfaction will improve the performance of electronic companies. By implementing transformational leadership, and paying attention to competence, compensation, and job satisfaction, problems that occur specifically related to very high employee movement can be resolved properly. 
 Research Limitations: This study has limitations. The research sample is an electronic company in the Jababeka Bekasi Industrial Estate, and it cannot describe the general characteristics of other companies, regions, or countries.

Compensation Schemes Following Forced Migration Movements in the 20th Century: A Comparative Perspective on Ottoman Greeks, Greek Muslims, East Germans, Palestinians, and Iraqi Jews

Abstract This article compares the policies of compensation implemented after five cases of forced migration in the 20th century. Compensation for property left behind was discussed in all these cases, but only implemented in some. One might think that compensation may have been easier when “abandoned” property was available and some form of “exchange” was engineered, but the relative failure of the Greek, Turkish, Palestinian, and Israeli cases and the relative success of the German ones suggest that the opposite may be true. This may be due to compensation systems being based on the principle of redistributory justice, rather than restoration of pre-conflict levels of wealth. Moreover, I argue that unilateral compensation schemes worked better than multilateral ones. However, in the long run, the most important factor impacting the refugees’ successful integration does not seem to have been compensation, but economic development, the granting of citizenship, and civil rights.

Effect Of CEO Compensation on Dividend Payout Policy

Purpose - This study seeks to investigate the association between CEO compensation and dividend payout policy among listed firms in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach - The study used a sample of 40 firms listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange(NSE) over the period 2009-2019. Data was analysed using fixed and random effect models to test the research hypothesis. Findings - The empirical results show that CEO compensation is significantly and positively associated with dividend payout policy. Practical implications – The study indicates that CEO compensation can be used as a corporate governance mechanism to lower agency conflict. Therefore, the findings offer useful information for managers and regulators in evaluating the effect of CEO compensation on shareholder return. Research limitations/implications - Due to a lack of data on equity compensation, the study cannot conclusively determine the effect of CEO compensation on dividend payout policy. Originality/value - Unlike previous studies that focused on the relationship between CEO compensation and accounting-based measures such as firm performance, this study contributes to the literature by examining the relationship between CEO compensation and dividend payout policy.

The Influence of Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy on Grassland Quality: Evidence from the Perspective of Grassland Ecosystem Vulnerability

The grassland ecological compensation policy (GECP) is currently the largest grassland ecosystem payment program in the world, trying to manage and restore degraded grasslands to achieve a virtuous cycle of grassland ecosystems. However, responses to the policy may vary across different regions. Based on panel data from 395 counties in six provinces in China’s pastoral areas from 2001 to 2021, this paper uses the difference-in-difference (DID) and moderation effect models to test the relationship between GECP and grassland quality from the perspective of grassland ecosystem vulnerability. The study found the following: (1) The spatial differentiation pattern of grassland ecosystem vulnerability in the six provinces of China’s pastoral areas is obvious, and the vulnerability is mainly slight and moderate (2) The GECP generally has a significant positive impact on grassland quality. (3) Grassland ecosystem vulnerability has a negative regulatory effect on the impact of the GECP on grassland quality. The positive impacts of policies become more pronounced as the vulnerability of grassland ecosystems decreases.

From boots to suits: do military directors protect shareholders’ wealth?

This paper explores the influence of military directors in protecting shareholders’ wealth through CEO compensation and corporate dividend payout policies. Based on manually collected data on corporate boards of non-financial companies operating in Pakistan, the results indicate a significant negative association between the presence of military directors on corporate boards and CEO compensation, thus supporting the notion that such directors are effective in monitoring and curtailing excessive rent seeking behaviour by the agents. In other words, presence of military directors on Pakistani corporate boards reduces agency costs and in turn enhances shareholders’ wealth. Results also indicate significant positive relationship between presence of military directors on boards and dividend payout, hence signifying that such directors are effective in enhancing shareholders’ wealth by reducing free cash flow opportunities that would otherwise be deployed by agents for their private benefits. We further found military directors with business education and wider networks to have significant positive association with dividend payout but not the case with CEO compensation. We control for board attributes, agent heterogeneity and firm-specific attributes in all our models. Overall, the benefits of military directors’ inclusion on corporate boards in Pakistan have far broader strategic, economic and policy implications on the nation besides resolving the principal-agent problems in the boardroom.

Payment schemes in online labour markets. Does incentive and personality matter?

ABSTRACT Online labor markets have gained significant importance in recent years, drawing considerable attention in academia and practice. These platforms enable workers worldwide to sell their labor services to a global pool of clients. However, the challenge lies in motivating workers effectively to enhance their productivity. To address this issue, we employ the self—determination theory and present a model that elucidates motivation's impact on productivity across various payment schemes. Additionally, we leverage the psychological trait theory and its suggested taxonomy to explore how compensation policies in online labor markets affect incentives differently based on individual differences. Our experiment tests predictions from a formal labor supply and productivity model for workers with varying compensation levels. The results indicate that intrinsic workers exhibit higher productivity when bonus rewards are introduced. Furthermore, our study confirms the presence of heterogeneous personality effects, emphasizing that increased worker productivity is primarily associated with conscientiousness and agreeableness traits. These findings illuminate the intricate mechanisms governing worker motivation and engagement in paid crowdsourcing environments. They provide valuable theoretical and managerial insights for researchers and crowdsourcing practitioners aiming to enhance worker productivity in online tasks.

Large-scale agricultural land investments and food security in Nigeria

The study examines how large-scale agricultural land investments (LIs) affect household food security in Nigeria. It is one of the few studies in Nigeria that offers new empirical insights into household food security. Precisely, it unravels how LIs affect the livelihood outcomes of households in communities where LIs operate compared to households in communities without such LIs. This study engages the mixed methods of analysis involving quantitative and qualitative techniques. The quantitative data is drawn from the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) utilising the Logistic regression technique. The qualitative aspect of this study involved fieldwork conducted in two distinct Nigerian states: Kwara State, situated in the North-Central region, and Ogun State, located in the South-West region. The qualitative findings further enrich the quantitative findings. It also helped to investigate the nature of jobs households engaged in and also the employment density of the investors’ farms which could not be done using the national representative data (LSMS). The results indicate that households in communities without land investments have 0.2% higher likelihood of being more food secure than households in communities with land investments and it is significant at 5%. The qualitative analysis reveals several key insights, including the observation that female headed households in communities with LIs are less likely to be food secure, receive less wages, and spend more time in communities with LIs. Government should put in place policies (for example, compensation policies) that will ensure that land deals are properly monitored and structured to benefit and protect the host communities. If the government fails to properly regulate land deals, rural people will always suffer. Also, they should monitor and control the activities, and the type of crops grown in investment farms so that land investments can bring about the desired benefits such as improvement in household livelihood and enhance food security in the communities where they exist.