Title: Analysis of corporate pensions: do type and size of firm make a difference?

Authors: Don H. Chamberlain; L. Murphy Smith; Wayne Tervo

Addresses: Department of Accounting, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071-3314, USA ' Department of Accounting, Finance and Business Law, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, O'Conner Building, Room 333, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5808, Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5808, USA ' Department of Accounting, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071-3314, USA

Abstract: Adequate pensions are important to both individuals and the public interest. Pensions are important to all types of business, whether they are retailers, manufacturers, or service firms. Funding pensions has become a challenge for many companies of all types and sizes. Effectively managing employee compensation, including pensions, is a corporate social responsibility. Ethical guidelines for employee pay can be traced back to ancient times, such as precepts found in biblical passages. The current study seeks to expand understanding of pensions, specifically, to determine if differences are connected to firm type and firm size. Increased understanding may contribute to improved pension management by company managers and lead to more well-suited regulations by policy-makers. Results indicate that firm type is associated with differences in pension benefits paid relative to total assets and to total revenues. At the same time, there were no differences relative to firm size.

Keywords: pensions; corporate accounting; public interest; corporate social responsibility; CSR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2019.099299

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2019 Vol.22 No.3, pp.355 - 371

Received: 14 Feb 2017
Accepted: 16 Jul 2017
Published online: 26 Apr 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article