A Behavioral Agency Model of Managerial Risk Taking

TLDR

The study constructs a behavioral agency model of executive risk taking that integrates monitoring, performance, and strategic problem framing to explain executives’ risk choices. The model merges internal corporate governance mechanisms with problem framing to explain executive risk‑taking behavior. The propositions reveal that executive risk taking differs across monitoring regimes and can be either risk‑seeking or risk‑averse, thereby extending agency‑based corporate governance theory.

Abstract

Building on agency and prospect theory views, we construct, in this article, a behavioral agency model of executive risk taking. In the model we combine elements of internal corporate governance with problem framing to explain executive risk-taking behavior. The model suggests that executive risk taking varies across and within different forms of monitoring and that agents may exhibit risk-seeking as well as risk-averse behaviors. We develop specific propositions that combine monitoring with performance and the framing of strategic problems to explain executive choices of strategic risk. The resulting propositions enhance and extend the agency-based corporate governance literature on executive risk taking.