Firm Performance and Business Cycles: Implications for Managerial Accountability

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between firm performance and business cycles. These cycles are deviations from the trend of an economy-wide variable, in our case, GDP. Using a sample of Brazilian listed firms and accounting measures of performance, we find a generally positive contemporaneous relationship between the cycle and firm performance. Results also indicate that different industries show distinct relationships. This research presents a novel approach by linking firm performance from several industries to business cycles, indicating that managerial effort may be less determinant of firm performance than what is generally accepted. Our findings have potential implications for the design of more efficient compensation packages and to the study of managerial self-attributed performance.