Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers

This paper uses a series of experiments with commercial bank loan officers to test the effect of performance incentives on risk-assessment and lending decisions. The paper first shows that, while high-powered incentives lead to greater screening ef...

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Main Authors: Cole, Shawn, Kanz, Martin, Klapper, Leora
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
TAX
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/07/16531326/incentivizing-calculated-risk-taking-evidence-experiment-commercial-bank-loan-officers
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12002
id okr-10986-12002
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCOUNTABILITY
AGENCY PROBLEM
AGENCY PROBLEMS
APPROVAL PROCESS
ASSET PRICES
ASSET QUALITY
BALANCE SHEET
BANK CREDIT
BANK LENDING
BANK LOAN OFFICERS
BANK POLICY
BORROWER
BRANCH
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
BUSINESS OWNERS
BUSINESS RISK
CAPITAL ALLOCATION
CAPITAL LOANS
CASE OF DEFAULT
CASH PAYMENTS
CHECKS
CLAIMANT
COLLATERAL
COMMERCIAL BANK
COMMERCIAL BANK LOAN
COMMERCIAL BANKS
COMMERCIAL LENDER
COMMERCIAL LENDING
COMMERCIAL LOAN
COMMERCIAL PAPER
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
CONSUMER LENDING
CORPORATE FINANCE
COST OF CAPITAL
CREDIT APPLICATION
CREDIT APPLICATIONS
CREDIT AVAILABILITY
CREDIT BUREAU
CREDIT INFORMATION
CREDIT MARKETS
CREDIT OFFICER
CREDIT OFFICERS
CREDIT QUALITY
CREDIT REPORTS
CREDIT RISK
CREDIT SCORE
CREDIT SCORING
CREDIT SCORING MODELS
CREDIT-SCORING
DEBT
DEBT CONTRACTS
DEBT SERVICE
DECENTRALIZATION
DEFAULT RATES
DEFAULT RISK
DEFAULTS
DEFERRED PAYMENT
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
DEPOSIT
DEPOSIT INSURANCE
DISCOUNT RATE
DISCOUNT RATES
DISPOSITIONS
DUMMY VARIABLE
EMERGING CREDIT
EMERGING MARKETS
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYERS
ENFORCEABILITY
ENFORCEABILITY OF DEBT CONTRACTS
ENTREPRENEUR
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES
ENTREPRENEURS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
EQUALITY
EQUALITY OF DISTRIBUTIONS
EXCLUSION
EXPENDITURE
EXPENDITURES
FEDERAL RESERVE
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL CRISIS
FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT
FINANCIAL INNOVATION
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION
FINANCIAL MARKETS
FINANCIAL PRODUCTS
FINANCIAL RISK
FINANCIAL STUDIES
FIRMS
FIXED COST
FOREIGN LENDERS
FORMAL BORROWING
FORMAL FINANCIAL MARKETS
FUTURE ASSET
GENDER
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
IMPLICIT GUARANTEES
INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINT
INCENTIVE CONSTRAINTS
INCENTIVES FOR REPAYMENT
INCOME STATEMENT
INCOME STATEMENTS
INDIVIDUAL LOAN
INEQUALITY
INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES
INSTALLMENT
INSTALLMENTS
INSURANCE
INTEREST RATE
INTEREST RATES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INVENTORY
JUDGMENT
LENDER
LENDING DECISION
LENDING DECISIONS
LEVELS OF DEBT
LIMITED LIABILITY
LINES OF CREDIT
LOAN APPLICATION
LOAN APPLICATIONS
LOAN APPROVAL
LOAN APPROVALS
LOAN CHARACTERISTICS
LOAN CLIENTS
LOAN DEFAULTS
LOAN OFFICER
LOAN OFFICERS
LOAN PERFORMANCE
LOAN PORTFOLIO
LOAN QUALITY
LOAN REPAYMENT
LOAN SIZE
LOAN UNDERWRITING
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
MORAL HAZARD
NEGOTIATION
NET INTEREST MARGIN
NET PROFIT
NON-PERFORMING LOAN
NON-PERFORMING LOANS
OPAQUE SMALL BUSINESSES
OPTIMAL CONTRACT
OUTSTANDING LOANS
PAYOFFS
PENALTIES
PENALTY
PERSONAL EXPENSES
POLITICAL ECONOMY
PREDICTIVE CREDIT SCORING
PRESENT VALUE
PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS
PROBABILITY OF DEFAULT
PRODUCTIVITY
PROFITABILITY
PROFITS PER LOAN
PUBLIC SECTOR BANK
PUBLIC SECTOR COMMERCIAL BANKS
REMEDY
REPAYMENT
REPAYMENT HISTORY
REPAYMENTS
RESIDUAL CLAIMANT
RETURN
RETURNS
RISK AVERSION
RISK EVALUATION
RISK MANAGEMENT
RISK TAKING
ROLE OF BANK
SALARY
SHAREHOLDERS
SMALL BUSINESS
SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT
SMALL BUSINESS LENDING
SMALL BUSINESS LOAN
SMALL BUSINESS LOANS
SMALL FIRM
SMALL FIRM FINANCE
SMALL-BUSINESS
SMALL-BUSINESS LOANS
START-UP
STATE BANKS
TAX
UNDERLYING ASSET
VALUATIONS
WAGES
WILLINGNESS TO PAY
WORKING CAPITAL
spellingShingle ACCOUNTABILITY
AGENCY PROBLEM
AGENCY PROBLEMS
APPROVAL PROCESS
ASSET PRICES
ASSET QUALITY
BALANCE SHEET
BANK CREDIT
BANK LENDING
BANK LOAN OFFICERS
BANK POLICY
BORROWER
BRANCH
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
BUSINESS OWNERS
BUSINESS RISK
CAPITAL ALLOCATION
CAPITAL LOANS
CASE OF DEFAULT
CASH PAYMENTS
CHECKS
CLAIMANT
COLLATERAL
COMMERCIAL BANK
COMMERCIAL BANK LOAN
COMMERCIAL BANKS
COMMERCIAL LENDER
COMMERCIAL LENDING
COMMERCIAL LOAN
COMMERCIAL PAPER
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
CONSUMER LENDING
CORPORATE FINANCE
COST OF CAPITAL
CREDIT APPLICATION
CREDIT APPLICATIONS
CREDIT AVAILABILITY
CREDIT BUREAU
CREDIT INFORMATION
CREDIT MARKETS
CREDIT OFFICER
CREDIT OFFICERS
CREDIT QUALITY
CREDIT REPORTS
CREDIT RISK
CREDIT SCORE
CREDIT SCORING
CREDIT SCORING MODELS
CREDIT-SCORING
DEBT
DEBT CONTRACTS
DEBT SERVICE
DECENTRALIZATION
DEFAULT RATES
DEFAULT RISK
DEFAULTS
DEFERRED PAYMENT
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
DEPOSIT
DEPOSIT INSURANCE
DISCOUNT RATE
DISCOUNT RATES
DISPOSITIONS
DUMMY VARIABLE
EMERGING CREDIT
EMERGING MARKETS
EMPLOYEE
EMPLOYERS
ENFORCEABILITY
ENFORCEABILITY OF DEBT CONTRACTS
ENTREPRENEUR
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES
ENTREPRENEURS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
EQUALITY
EQUALITY OF DISTRIBUTIONS
EXCLUSION
EXPENDITURE
EXPENDITURES
FEDERAL RESERVE
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FINANCIAL CRISIS
FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT
FINANCIAL INNOVATION
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION
FINANCIAL MARKETS
FINANCIAL PRODUCTS
FINANCIAL RISK
FINANCIAL STUDIES
FIRMS
FIXED COST
FOREIGN LENDERS
FORMAL BORROWING
FORMAL FINANCIAL MARKETS
FUTURE ASSET
GENDER
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
IMPLICIT GUARANTEES
INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINT
INCENTIVE CONSTRAINTS
INCENTIVES FOR REPAYMENT
INCOME STATEMENT
INCOME STATEMENTS
INDIVIDUAL LOAN
INEQUALITY
INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES
INSTALLMENT
INSTALLMENTS
INSURANCE
INTEREST RATE
INTEREST RATES
INTERNATIONAL BANK
INVENTORY
JUDGMENT
LENDER
LENDING DECISION
LENDING DECISIONS
LEVELS OF DEBT
LIMITED LIABILITY
LINES OF CREDIT
LOAN APPLICATION
LOAN APPLICATIONS
LOAN APPROVAL
LOAN APPROVALS
LOAN CHARACTERISTICS
LOAN CLIENTS
LOAN DEFAULTS
LOAN OFFICER
LOAN OFFICERS
LOAN PERFORMANCE
LOAN PORTFOLIO
LOAN QUALITY
LOAN REPAYMENT
LOAN SIZE
LOAN UNDERWRITING
MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
MORAL HAZARD
NEGOTIATION
NET INTEREST MARGIN
NET PROFIT
NON-PERFORMING LOAN
NON-PERFORMING LOANS
OPAQUE SMALL BUSINESSES
OPTIMAL CONTRACT
OUTSTANDING LOANS
PAYOFFS
PENALTIES
PENALTY
PERSONAL EXPENSES
POLITICAL ECONOMY
PREDICTIVE CREDIT SCORING
PRESENT VALUE
PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS
PROBABILITY OF DEFAULT
PRODUCTIVITY
PROFITABILITY
PROFITS PER LOAN
PUBLIC SECTOR BANK
PUBLIC SECTOR COMMERCIAL BANKS
REMEDY
REPAYMENT
REPAYMENT HISTORY
REPAYMENTS
RESIDUAL CLAIMANT
RETURN
RETURNS
RISK AVERSION
RISK EVALUATION
RISK MANAGEMENT
RISK TAKING
ROLE OF BANK
SALARY
SHAREHOLDERS
SMALL BUSINESS
SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT
SMALL BUSINESS LENDING
SMALL BUSINESS LOAN
SMALL BUSINESS LOANS
SMALL FIRM
SMALL FIRM FINANCE
SMALL-BUSINESS
SMALL-BUSINESS LOANS
START-UP
STATE BANKS
TAX
UNDERLYING ASSET
VALUATIONS
WAGES
WILLINGNESS TO PAY
WORKING CAPITAL
Cole, Shawn
Kanz, Martin
Klapper, Leora
Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers
relation Policy Research working paper ; no. 6146
description This paper uses a series of experiments with commercial bank loan officers to test the effect of performance incentives on risk-assessment and lending decisions. The paper first shows that, while high-powered incentives lead to greater screening effort and more profitable lending, their power is muted by both deferred compensation and the limited liability typically enjoyed by loan officers. Second, the paper presents direct evidence that incentive contracts distort judgment and beliefs, even among trained professionals with many years of experience. Loans evaluated under more permissive incentive schemes are rated significantly less risky than the same loans evaluated under pay-for-performance.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Cole, Shawn
Kanz, Martin
Klapper, Leora
author_facet Cole, Shawn
Kanz, Martin
Klapper, Leora
author_sort Cole, Shawn
title Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers
title_short Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers
title_full Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers
title_fullStr Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers
title_full_unstemmed Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers
title_sort incentivizing calculated risk-taking : evidence from an experiment with commercial bank loan officers
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/07/16531326/incentivizing-calculated-risk-taking-evidence-experiment-commercial-bank-loan-officers
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12002
_version_ 1764418633465856000
spelling okr-10986-120022021-04-23T14:02:58Z Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking : Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers Cole, Shawn Kanz, Martin Klapper, Leora ACCOUNTABILITY AGENCY PROBLEM AGENCY PROBLEMS APPROVAL PROCESS ASSET PRICES ASSET QUALITY BALANCE SHEET BANK CREDIT BANK LENDING BANK LOAN OFFICERS BANK POLICY BORROWER BRANCH BUSINESS EXPERIENCE BUSINESS OWNERS BUSINESS RISK CAPITAL ALLOCATION CAPITAL LOANS CASE OF DEFAULT CASH PAYMENTS CHECKS CLAIMANT COLLATERAL COMMERCIAL BANK COMMERCIAL BANK LOAN COMMERCIAL BANKS COMMERCIAL LENDER COMMERCIAL LENDING COMMERCIAL LOAN COMMERCIAL PAPER CONFLICT OF INTEREST CONSUMER LENDING CORPORATE FINANCE COST OF CAPITAL CREDIT APPLICATION CREDIT APPLICATIONS CREDIT AVAILABILITY CREDIT BUREAU CREDIT INFORMATION CREDIT MARKETS CREDIT OFFICER CREDIT OFFICERS CREDIT QUALITY CREDIT REPORTS CREDIT RISK CREDIT SCORE CREDIT SCORING CREDIT SCORING MODELS CREDIT-SCORING DEBT DEBT CONTRACTS DEBT SERVICE DECENTRALIZATION DEFAULT RATES DEFAULT RISK DEFAULTS DEFERRED PAYMENT DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS DEPOSIT DEPOSIT INSURANCE DISCOUNT RATE DISCOUNT RATES DISPOSITIONS DUMMY VARIABLE EMERGING CREDIT EMERGING MARKETS EMPLOYEE EMPLOYERS ENFORCEABILITY ENFORCEABILITY OF DEBT CONTRACTS ENTREPRENEUR ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES ENTREPRENEURS ENTREPRENEURSHIP EQUALITY EQUALITY OF DISTRIBUTIONS EXCLUSION EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURES FEDERAL RESERVE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FINANCIAL CRISIS FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INNOVATION FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION FINANCIAL MARKETS FINANCIAL PRODUCTS FINANCIAL RISK FINANCIAL STUDIES FIRMS FIXED COST FOREIGN LENDERS FORMAL BORROWING FORMAL FINANCIAL MARKETS FUTURE ASSET GENDER GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP HOUSEHOLD INCOME IMPLICIT GUARANTEES INCENTIVE COMPATIBILITY CONSTRAINT INCENTIVE CONSTRAINTS INCENTIVES FOR REPAYMENT INCOME STATEMENT INCOME STATEMENTS INDIVIDUAL LOAN INEQUALITY INFORMATION ASYMMETRIES INSTALLMENT INSTALLMENTS INSURANCE INTEREST RATE INTEREST RATES INTERNATIONAL BANK INVENTORY JUDGMENT LENDER LENDING DECISION LENDING DECISIONS LEVELS OF DEBT LIMITED LIABILITY LINES OF CREDIT LOAN APPLICATION LOAN APPLICATIONS LOAN APPROVAL LOAN APPROVALS LOAN CHARACTERISTICS LOAN CLIENTS LOAN DEFAULTS LOAN OFFICER LOAN OFFICERS LOAN PERFORMANCE LOAN PORTFOLIO LOAN QUALITY LOAN REPAYMENT LOAN SIZE LOAN UNDERWRITING MEDIUM ENTERPRISES MORAL HAZARD NEGOTIATION NET INTEREST MARGIN NET PROFIT NON-PERFORMING LOAN NON-PERFORMING LOANS OPAQUE SMALL BUSINESSES OPTIMAL CONTRACT OUTSTANDING LOANS PAYOFFS PENALTIES PENALTY PERSONAL EXPENSES POLITICAL ECONOMY PREDICTIVE CREDIT SCORING PRESENT VALUE PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS PROBABILITY OF DEFAULT PRODUCTIVITY PROFITABILITY PROFITS PER LOAN PUBLIC SECTOR BANK PUBLIC SECTOR COMMERCIAL BANKS REMEDY REPAYMENT REPAYMENT HISTORY REPAYMENTS RESIDUAL CLAIMANT RETURN RETURNS RISK AVERSION RISK EVALUATION RISK MANAGEMENT RISK TAKING ROLE OF BANK SALARY SHAREHOLDERS SMALL BUSINESS SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT SMALL BUSINESS LENDING SMALL BUSINESS LOAN SMALL BUSINESS LOANS SMALL FIRM SMALL FIRM FINANCE SMALL-BUSINESS SMALL-BUSINESS LOANS START-UP STATE BANKS TAX UNDERLYING ASSET VALUATIONS WAGES WILLINGNESS TO PAY WORKING CAPITAL This paper uses a series of experiments with commercial bank loan officers to test the effect of performance incentives on risk-assessment and lending decisions. The paper first shows that, while high-powered incentives lead to greater screening effort and more profitable lending, their power is muted by both deferred compensation and the limited liability typically enjoyed by loan officers. Second, the paper presents direct evidence that incentive contracts distort judgment and beliefs, even among trained professionals with many years of experience. Loans evaluated under more permissive incentive schemes are rated significantly less risky than the same loans evaluated under pay-for-performance. 2012-12-21T19:45:12Z 2012-12-21T19:45:12Z 2012-07 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/07/16531326/incentivizing-calculated-risk-taking-evidence-experiment-commercial-bank-loan-officers http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12002 English en_US Policy Research working paper ; no. 6146 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research