CEO Life History Strategies and Financial Reporting Quality

• In Event: 12.01. Causes and Effects of Financial Reporting Quality

Abstract

We draw on Life History (LH) theory and provide empirical evidence that CEOs’ evolutionarily shaped preferences influence financial reporting quality in private firms. Resource allocation tradeoffs shape organisms’ development of LH strategies on a fast–slow continuum. Fast individuals tend to follow aggressive reproduction strategies. Consequently, they engage in more impulsive, opportunistic, and risk-seeking behavior to achieve their goals. We develop and validate the LH index reflecting CEO LH strategies based on biodemographic data on reproductive behavior, including number of children, number of partners, reproductive timespan, and relationship duration. We provide consistent evidence across various ex post and ex ante measures and specifications that financial reporting quality is lower for firms managed by fast CEOs.

Authors

• Melanie Lucia Feldhues, Copenhagen Business School

• Morten Holm, Copenhagen Business School