Mediating Role of Performance Measurement †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Mediating Role of Performance Measurement. Answer: Introduction The report takes an honest attempt to analyze and evaluate remuneration and performance of the company executives. For this reason, three of the major banks of Australia are taken into consideration; they are Commonwealth Bank (CAB), Macquarie Group and Bendigo Bank. This report has significant importance. The report examines the performance of executives of these three companies in compared with the remuneration of them. It can be seen that every company has their own structure of remuneration of the company executives and this remuneration structure one of the major forces behind the performance of the executives as well-structure remuneration packages are prime motivational factors for the company executives. In this report, after the review of selected companies, a comparison is conducted among the remuneration structure of these three companies. After that, based on the summary of findings, the used methods for executive remuneration are analyzed and evaluated. Based on the whol e discussion, some recommendations are provided. Thus, it can be seen that the report has a fare scope to know the method of analyzing and evaluating the executive remuneration report of the companies. Lastly, based on the whole discussion, a conclusion is drown that includes the major results of the report. Regular and purposeful evaluation of the company executives is one of the major features of the effective governance in the companies (Bititci et al. 2012). According to most of the studies, it has been seen that most percentage of the companies use to evaluate the performance of their company executives on the yearly basis. There are some companies that evaluate their executives performance on a more frequents basis (Searcy 2012). However, it needs to be mentioned that performance evaluation of the executives is crucial for the overall performance of the companies (Melnyk et al. 2014). In this regard, a major aspect is the evaluation of the executive remuneration structure of the companies. It can be seen that different companies have their own structure for executive remuneration. The evaluation of executive remuneration and performance is not an easy task for the companies (Teeratansirikool et al. 2013). A responsible and fare executive remuneration structure is considered as one of the major fundamentals for the creation of long-term corporate values (Bugeja et al. 2012). In the last few decades, a large increase in executive remuneration has been noticed for many companies. This increase has led to many political debates along with conflict between company executives and shareholders. This particular report shows various components of executive remuneration of the selected companies (Boyd, Franco Santos and Shen 2012). In this regard, it needs to be mentioned that there are some common ways by which most of the public companies all over the world measure the performance of their company executives. First, it is essential for the company executives to achieve the financial and operational target of the companies. This is the first and most crucial parameter by which the performance of the executives is measured. Executives who have been successful to achieve or overachieve the performance target will be rated high in the performance appraisal. Second, the company executives need to be prompt in responding to the decisions and provided direction of the board of directors. For this reason, the executives need to establish proper communication channels with the board of directors. It is expected from the company executives that they will produce the thorough reports about the overall performance of the organization. This is one of the major parameters for measuring the performance of company executives, as the executives need to have the skill to develop reports regarding the overall performance of the company. It is expected from the executives that they will be able to attend var ious training programs. These training programs are crucial for the development of skill sets and competencies of the company executives. Performance of executives in these training programs is measured for the preparation of executives remuneration structure. Most importantly, company executives need to be able to maintain a healthy and cordial relationship with the company regulators. In addition, the executives of the companies should avoid any kind of conflict of interest in the business organizations. The executives need to develop an ambiance of achievement within the organizations. All these above-mentioned factors need to be considered at the time of measuring the performance of the company executives. Allocation of Executive Remuneration CAB: The target remuneration of CAB is divided into three parts. They are Fixed Remuneration, Long Term Incentives (LTI) and Short Term Incentives (STI). There are two parts in the STI of the company. One part is paid on cash basis and another part is paid on deferred basis for one year (commbank.com.au 2017). From the annual report of this particular organization, it can be seen that there are some specific characteristics or features of the remuneration report of CAB. In the process of fixing the amount of fixed remuneration for the company executives, the board of directors obtains the recommendations from the remuneration committee of the company. At this time, both the board and committee consider some of the important factors like role of the executives, numerous market factors and many others. The remuneration committee uses to review the fixed remuneration of the executives at the end of each financial year on 30 June. Based on this review in 2016, it has been seen that there is a 0.9% increase in the fixed remuneration of the company executives (commbank.com.au 2017). In case of STI of CAB, it needs to be mentioned that the executives of the company are awarded between 0% to 150% of the target of their STI based on their performance. In case, the executives want to resign or they are dismissed from operation before the end of the tenure period, CAB provides them the option to forfeit the deferred position of their STI based on the approval from the remuneration committee and Board of Directors. This is a major remuneration strategy of the company in order to reduce the risk to lose the key executives. The power to make adjustments in executive remuneration structure fully lies in the hands of the Board of Directors. In case of the LTI, the executives of CAB have to wait for a period of four years to exercise the stock option and in this case, the performance of the executives is measured based on Total Shareholder Return (TSR) and the customer satisfaction hurdle. The company executives of CAB receive the full amount of LTI is case their performan ces are able to align with the key business priorities of the company (commbank.com.au 2017). Macquarie Group: In case of Macquarie Group, it can be seen that there are two parts of the executive remuneration of the company; they are Fixed Remuneration and Performance-based Remuneration. Some specific features of the executive remunerations structure of Macquarie Group are there. The fixed remuneration of the executives of Macquarie Group is set by observing the similar roles of executives of the other companies (macquarie.com.au 2017). The fixed remuneration structure of the executives is reviewed on the annual basis. In order to get the performance-based incentives, the executives of the company have to fulfill some major criteria. The contribution of the executives towards the overall profitability of the company is measured at the time of providing the performance-based remuneration. In the performance-based remuneration, Macquarie Group has some major parameters against which the performance f the executives is measured; they are financial performance of the company, ris k management and compliance by the executives, the ability of the executives to lead the organizations and the professional conduct of the executives as per the ethical principles of company code of conducts. Macquarie Group delivers the performance-based remuneration in certain forms. The executives receive retained or deferred earnings for a long period. As per CBA, the executives of Macquarie Group have the power to forfeit their performance-based remuneration in case of early retirement and others. Thus, based on the above discussion, it can be said that Macquarie Group provides the executives with performance-based remuneration based on their performance. These are the major components of the executive remuneration structure of Macquarie Group (macquarie.com.au 2017). Bendigo Bank: There are two parts of the executive remuneration of this bank; they are Fixed Remuneration and Variable Remuneration. Two parts of fixed remuneration are Fixed Base Cash and Deterred Base Equity; and, two parts of variable remuneration are Long Term Incentives (LTI) and Short Term Incentives (STI) (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). In this case, it needs to be mentioned that the remuneration report of Bendigo Bank is designed in such a ways so that they can be aligned with the strategic objectives of the company (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). The cash portion of executive remuneration of Bendigo Bank is provided based on the roles, responsibilities and overall performance of the group. At the same time, the skills, experience and competencies of the executrices are also considered. The other portion of executive base remuneration is paid in the form of deferred shares that is issue at no cost. However, the condition in the deferred shares is that the executives need to at least complete two years in the organization. After that, based on the performance of the company, the deferred shares are provided to the executives. In case of STI, it is paid to the executives based on the financial performance of the company in the respective financial years. In addition, individual performance of the executives along with the ability to manage organizational risk is considered at the time of providing STI (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). In case of LTI, the executives of Bendigo Bank are provided with equity shares of the company. In this process, Bendigo Bank provide grant of performance right and each right represents one equity share of the company. At the time to exercise the rights, the executives of Bendigo Bank do not have to pay any kind exercise price. However, vesting period is applicable for the equity shares of Bendigo Bank in case of LTI. These are the major components of the executive remuneration structure of Bendigo Bank (bendigoadelaide.com.au 20 17). Change in Executive Remuneration Reporting CAB: In 2016, CAB has decided to bring two changes in the executive remuneration structure. First, the executive STI balances performance scorecard will additionally include an assessment of exemplary leadership and exceptional personal demonstration of the vision and values of the bank. CAB is expecting that the introduction of this particular change will be able to measure the performance of executives of this company. As a result, the company will be able to provide the executives with more appropriate remuneration. Second, the Group Leadership Reward Plan (GLPR) of the bank will put more focus on the people and community in order to measure the long-term progress of diversity, sustainability and culture. From this particular change, it can be observed that CAB always cares for their customers and shareholders, as they are the major source of the companys profit. These are two major changes in the executive remuneration report of CAB. With the help of these two changes, CAB will b e able to bring improvements in the executive remuneration structure of CAB. Macquarie Group: From the latest financial of the group, it can be observed that there has not been any change in the executive remuneration structure of the company. Bendigo Bank: From the latest financial of the group, it can be observed that there has not been any change in the executive remuneration structure of the company. CAB: The overall financial performance of the company in compared to executive compensation is shown below: Particulars FY 2016 FY 2015 Cash Net Profit after Tax (NPAT) Cash Earnings per Share (EPS) Dividends per Share Total Shareholders Equity $9,450 million 555.1 cents $4.20 $60,756 million $9,137 million 557.5 cents $4.20 $52,993 million From the above table of executive remuneration, it can be seen that in most of the cases the remuneration of executive has increased in 2016 in compared to 2015. On the other hand, from table 1, it can be seen that cash NPAT and shareholders total equity has also increased in 2016 from 2015 (commbank.com.au 2017). As per the executive remuneration report of CAB, it can be see that there has been a 0.6% increase in the fixed remuneration of the company executives. Here, it needs to be mentioned that companies introduce hike in the executive fixed remuneration so that the overall financial as well as non-financial performance of the company can be improved. From the above table, it can be seen that there has not been any change in dividend per share of the company. Thus, it can be observed that CAB has been able to provide their shareholders with the same percentage of dividend as per the previous year. Macquarie Group: The overall financial performance of the company in compared to executive compensation is shown below: From the above table, it can be seen that there has been an increase in total executive remuneration from 2015 to 2016. On the contrary, improvement in overall financial performance of the company can be seen as there has been increase in NPAT, EPS, dividends and return on equity of the group from 2015 to 2016 (macquarie.com.au 2017). From the above table, it is prominent that there has been rise in the major financial parameter of Macquarie Group, but exception can be notices in the Total Shareholder Return (TSR) in the company. It can be seen that there has been a massive fall in the TSR of the company as it is in negative in 2016. From this aspect, it can be guessed that at some point, the shareholders of the company are not satisfied with the performance of the company. This major point Macquarie Group needs to consider at the time of developing the executive remuneration structure. From the above discussion, it can be seen that there is an increase in executive remuneration of the company from 2015 to 2016. Interestingly, it can also been seen that there has been decrease in NPAT, statutory EPS and total shareholders retune of the bank from 2015 to 2016. However, increase can be seen in cash EPS, cash earnings and dividends from 2015 to 2016 (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). Thus, from the above discussion, it can be seen that the financial performance of Bendigo Bank is full of difficulties. Increase can be seen in some of the financial parameters and decrease can been seen in some of the financial parameters. Decrease can be seen in the major financial parameter like NPAT. At the same time, it needs to be mentioned that in the year 2016, TSR is showing a negative value that is not good for the overall betterment of the company. Thus, the management of Bendigo Bank needs to consider these factors at the time of executive remuneration. Comparison of Remuneration Systems According to the above part, it can be seen that these three banks have more or less same executive remuneration structure. The fixed remuneration of CAB includes two components; they are base remuneration and superannuation. CAS provides the base remuneration in the form of cash salary and any salary sacrifice items. In case of STI of CAB, 50% of it is paid in cash and the rest 50% is paid on one year deferred basis. LTI of CAB is equivalent to 1000% of fixed remuneration but is it provided on the required basis of performance of the executives (commbank.com.au 2017). In compare to Macquarie Group with CAB, it can be seen that there is not any subdivision in the fixed and performance based remuneration of the group. In case of Macquarie Group, fixed remuneration of executives depends on their roles and responsibilities where performance bases incentives are provided based on some financial performance parameters like ROI, ROE, Return on Shareholders and others (macquarie.com.au 2017 ). However, lot of similarities can be seen between the executive remuneration structure of CAB and Bendigo. Same as CAB, the base remuneration of Bendigo includes two components; they are fixed base that includes cash salary, superannuation and salary sacrifice items; and deferred base (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). STI are paid to the executives in two forms; they are cash and equity. Lastly, LTI is paid to the executives in the form of equity of the company (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). Thus, based on the above comparison, it can be said that executive remuneration of CAB and Bendigo is almost similar where the executive remuneration structure of Macquarie Group is different from other two companies. Summary of Findings In case of CAB, it can be seen that the financial performance of the bank has increased along with the increase in executive remunerations. It can be seen that the cash NPAT of CAB has increased along with the total shareholders equity. However, little fall can be seen in the cash EPS of the company (commbank.com.au 2017). In case of dividend per share, there is not any increase or decrease in the value. Thus, on the overall basis, it can be seen that the effectiveness of executive remuneration has contributed towards effective financial performance of the company (commbank.com.au 2017). In case of Macquarie Group, it has been seen that in the year 2016, there has been massive improvement in financial performance of the company as compared to 2015 (macquarie.com.au 2017). In the same year, increase in the total executive compensation can also be noticed. Improvements in various financial aspects like NPAT, EPS, dividends and return on equity can be seen in 2016. Thus, it can be said that the executives got the hike in compensations due to the improved financial performance of the company (macquarie.com.au 2017). However, in case of Bendigo Bank, the situation is different. From the annual report of 2016, it can be seen that there is a massive increase in total amount of executive remuneration in 2016 compared to 2015; but deterioration can be seen in the financial performance of the company (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). It has been noticed that EPS, NPAT, share price and total shareholders return has been deteriorate in 2016 massively. Hence, it can be observed that the executives of the bank have failed to perform well in 2016 and in spite of this fact, they got hike in pay. Thus, the executive remuneration structure of the bank is not effective to provide the company with improved financial performance (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). Analysis of Remuneration Methods Used From the annual reports of these three companies, it can be seen that each company has approached the executive remuneration report in such a way that it can contribute towards the improved financial performance. For this reason, all three companies have their own executive remuneration philosophy. CABs target is to align the executive remuneration strategy with shareholders interest and overall business strategy so that overall financial performance of the bank can be improved (commbank.com.au 2017). CAB also puts emphasis on managing the organizational risk by the executives. In case of Macquarie, the bank has approached towards the alignment of executive remuneration with the interest of the shareholders and the employees. As per this bank, hike in the executive remuneration is highly associated with some improved financial performance of the company, effective risk management and compliance, business leadership and professional conduct (commbank.com.au 2017). According to the phi losophy of Bendigo Bank, executive remuneration strategy of the bank must have positive relation with good long-term results and effective risk management of the company (macquarie.com.au 2017). Apart from this, as per Bendigo, executive remuneration must have positive relation with the values and cultures of the company (bendigoadelaide.com.au 2017). Thus, based on the above discussion, it can be seen that the executive remuneration strategy of these three companies ensures improved financial performance of the banks. Recommendations Based on the above analysis, some recommendations are provided below: It is recommended to the executives of CAB that they need to develop financial strategies in such a way so that the company becomes able to provide more dividend to their shareholders. It is recommended that Macquarie Group needs to develop effective financial strategies in order to develop total shareholder return (TSR) of the company. It is recommended that Bendigo Bank needs to develop effective financial strategies for the improvident of overall financial position of the company. Conclusion From the whole discussion, it can be seen that CAB and Bendigo Bank has almost similar executive remuneration structure where Macquarie Group has different executive remuneration structure. As per the findings, it can be observed that Macquarie Group has the most effective executive remuneration structure as it has led the company to a largely improved financial condition in 2016. After that, CAB has the second best executive remuneration structure as in most of the financial aspects, the company registered improvement. Most importantly, it needs to be mentioned that Bendigo Bank has the least effective executive remuneration structure as the bank lacks improved financial performance. References bendigoadelaide.com.au. (2017).Annual Financial Report 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.bendigoadelaide.com.au/public/shareholders/pdf/annual_reports/2016-Annual-Financial-Report.pdf [Accessed 30 Aug. 2017]. Bititci, U., Garengo, P., Drfler, V. and Nudurupati, S., 2012. 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