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Have CEOs changed?

delete2025-09-25
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PRE
AI
Y
Yann Decressin
S
Steven N. Kaplan *
M
Morten Sørensen
DOI:10.1016/j.jfineco.2025.104169delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Using more than 4900 personality assessments, we study changes in the characteristics of CEOs and top executives since 2001. The same four factors explain roughly half of the variation in executive characteristics in this larger sample of assessments as in Kaplan and Sorensen (2021). In later years, CEO candidates have shown declining general ability, are increasingly execution-oriented, less interpersonal, less charismatic, and less creative-strategic, and many of these differences persist for hired CEOs. We find no evidence of increasing prevalence or importance of interpersonal and softer skills. Executives assessed for the same company have positively correlated abilities, suggesting that high-ability executives complement each other. Finally, we consider corporate objectives and CEO characteristics.
Keywords:
CEO characteristics
CEO trends
Executive hiring
Managerial talent

Journal

Journal of Financial Economics cover
Journal of Financial Economics
IF:
12
Papers:
3.8K
Citations:
5.5W

Organization

T
The University of Chicago
Scholars:
827
Papers: 298
Citations: 0
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Leadership, Coordination, and Corporate Culture
err2012-12-05
err126
PREAI
errBolton, Patrick; Brunnermeier, Markus K.; Veldkamp, Laura
errShare
errSave
Are CEOs Different?
err2021-04-01
err29
PREAI
errKaplan, Steven N.; Sorensen, Morten
errShare
errSave
Why has CEO pay increased so much?
err2008-02-01
err1.0K
errOAAI
errGabaix, Xavier; Landier, Augustin
errShare
errSave
IN SUPPORT OF PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT IN ORGANIZATIONAL SETTINGS
err2007-11-13
err0
PREAI
errDENIZ S. ONES; STEPHAN DILCHERT; CHOCKALINGAM VISWESVARAN; TIMOTHY A. JUDGE
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