Corporate dividend policy, managerial overconfidence, myopia, and investor irrationality: a complex concoction

Abstract

Corporate dividend policy is a puzzle, especially when considering the effects of economic and behavioural factors. We develop a theoretical analysis of corporate dividend policy in order to analyse the effects of the complex mix of managerial moral hazard, overconfidence, and myopia on managerial incentives to increase or decrease dividends. Furthermore, we consider the effect of investor irrationality that drives corporate dividend catering behaviour. We investigate how this complex mix of economic and behavioural factors is likely to affect dividend policy. Our analysis provides a deep theoretical underpinning to understanding these effects and provides a basis for future empirical research.