Value or Glamour? An empirical investigation of the effect of celebrity CEOs on financial reporting practices and firm performance

Abstract

In this study, I investigate the impact of managerial reputation, as proxied by high-profile awards to CEOs, on financial reporting practices and firm performance. Using a sample of 269 awards given to 189 celebrity CEOs (CEOs who win awards) from 1987 to 2003, I compare within-firm changes in financial reporting practices and firm performance before and after each CEO wins their first award. I find that celebrity CEOs engage in more conservative accounting practices and are less likely to engage in opportunistic earnings management to meet short-term earnings benchmarks. In addition, firm performance improves after celebrity CEOs win awards.