Influence of Behavioral Factors on Early Exercise of Employee Stock Option: A Literature Review

Abstract

Employee Stock Option Plans (ESOPs) have gained prominence as a successful HR strategy that improves the employees’ performance and enables the company to have an economic and strategic advantage. However, the time at which employees decide to exercise their options determines the incentive that they derive from the stock options granted to them. It is one of the crucial financial decisions which can have immense implications for both employers and employees. According to the Black Scholes Model, an option's value is maximum when it is held until maturity. But most employees exercise their options early, which comes with a cost to both the employee and the company. It can be attributed to the fact that when faced with financial decisions the individuals do not always refer to complex finance models and formulas and make decisions rationally. Instead they resort to mental accounting and shortcuts leading to bounded rationality that can unconsciously impact their decision-making process. This paper explores the literature available on behavioral factors and biases that in addition to rational factors can affect the exercise of employee stock options.