Florian Wolff – författare

Over the last years stock options have become an integral part of the compensation of senior managers in Germany: Originating in the USA in the 1950s, this form of compensation gained increasing popularity among German corporations during the 1990s, so that by today far over 100 German listed companies grant stock option plans to their employees. Based on recent research the average German CEO ("Vor­ standsvorsitzender") receives approximately 10% of his salary in form of stock op­ tions. The ongoing globalisations of business practises as well as the boom of the Neuer Markt have been key drivers of this development. Initially, from an economic perspective the increasing importance of stock option plans in the compensation of senior managers has to be welcomed: Assuming that senior managers through their actions have the ability to influence the stock price of their companies, stock options represent a performance based type of pay that im­ proves the incentives to senior managers to create additional shareholder value. However, this perspective often neglects the potential costs created by such an in­ centive instrument. Several research studies suggest that companies in some cases generate additional costs through the granting of stock options that can exceed the benefits created by their incentive effect.

Wir sprechen standig uber den Burnout, den totalen Zusammenbruch durch gnadenlose Uberarbeitung. Doch in den sterilen Groraumburos der westlichen Welt grassiert eine weitaus perfidere, lautlose Krankheit, die exakt dieselben physischen und psychischen Symptome hervorruft: Das Boreout-Syndrom. Ein Boreout entsteht nicht durch zu viel Arbeit, sondern durch chronische Unterforderung, qualende Langeweile und absolute Sinnlosigkeit. Wenn intelligente Mitarbeiter jahrelang gezwungen werden, irrelevante Tabellen zu pflegen oder ihre Zeit abzusitzen, um beschaftigt zu wirken, reagiert das Gehirn mit massivem Stress. Diese permanente, paradoxe Erschopfung durch das Nichtstun zerstort das Selbstwertgefuhl, fordert Depressionen und fuhrt in eine tiefe Identitatskrise, weil die Betroffenen sich schamen, uber ihre luxurios bezahlte Langeweile zu klagen. Dieser arbeitspsychologische Leitfaden durchbricht das Tabu der Unterforderung. Er entlarvt die toxischen Managementstrukturen, die Talente in goldenen Kafigen verkummern lassen, und zeigt, warum Pseudo-Arbeit den menschlichen Geist viel schneller zermurbt als harte, aber sinnstiftende Projekte. Erkennen Sie die todliche Gefahr der Komfortzone. Wer das Boreout-Syndrom versteht, kann aus der Apathie ausbrechen und wieder die radikale Verantwortung fur die eigene Lebenszeit ubernehmen.

Over the last years stock options have become an integral part of the compensation of senior managers in Germany: Originating in the USA in the 1950s, this form of compensation gained increasing popularity among German corporations during the 1990s, so that by today far over 100 German listed companies grant stock option plans to their employees. Based on recent research the average German CEO ("Vor­ standsvorsitzender") receives approximately 10% of his salary in form of stock op­ tions. The ongoing globalisations of business practises as well as the boom of the Neuer Markt have been key drivers of this development. Initially, from an economic perspective the increasing importance of stock option plans in the compensation of senior managers has to be welcomed: Assuming that senior managers through their actions have the ability to influence the stock price of their companies, stock options represent a performance based type of pay that im­ proves the incentives to senior managers to create additional shareholder value. However, this perspective often neglects the potential costs created by such an in­ centive instrument. Several research studies suggest that companies in some cases generate additional costs through the granting of stock options that can exceed the benefits created by their incentive effect.