Right on the Money? The Contingent Effects of Strategic Orientation and Pay System Design on Firm Performance

This paper extends prior research on the performance implications of the fit between a firm’s strategic orientation and its pay system design. Whereas prior research has shown that matching the pay system design to the strategic orientation of the firm generally contributes to higher performance, mo...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Tenhiälä, Aino, Laamanen, Tomi
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:IE
Repositorio:Repositorio IE
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.ie.edu:20.500.14417/3682
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2953
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14417/3682
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Pay system
Strategic orientation
Contingency theory
Incentives
Performance
Descripción
Sumario:This paper extends prior research on the performance implications of the fit between a firm’s strategic orientation and its pay system design. Whereas prior research has shown that matching the pay system design to the strategic orientation of the firm generally contributes to higher performance, most studies have examined the pay systems of the upper echelons and employees separately. Based on an analysis that accounts for both horizontal and vertical pay dispersion, we find that whereas growth-oriented firms (prospectors) tend to benefit from high horizontal pay dispersion, efficiency-oriented firms (defenders) perform better with high vertical pay dispersion and low relative base pay. Overall, our findings contribute to an improved understanding of how to optimize the pay systems of firms with different strategic orientations.