【正文】
. Stock option incentive plan is designed to entice executives to work hard for the long term development of their panies. As stocks rise based on pany performance, they too gain through this profits haring arrangement. This kind of incentive plan is popular in foreign countries, especially in the United States, where stock options can account for as high as 70 percent of a CEO’s ine. Further, many economists believe the stock option incentive plan optimizes corporate governance structure, improve management efficiency and enhance corporate petitiveness. On the other hand, after the Measure s on the Administration of Stock Incentive Plans of Listed Companies was issued early this ye a r, some of the panies turned out to have misused the incentive stock options. The result was insider dealings, performance manipulation as well as a manipulation of the pany stock price. “Although the stock option incentive scheme is a frequently used tool to encourage top management, it could also be a double edged sword especially in an immature market economy,” Li said. The SASAC is therefore taking a cautious approach, placing explicit requirements on corporate governance, the target and extent of the incentive measures, Li added. Li stated that the overseaslisted SOEs would be the first few panies that will implement the mechanism because of their sound management structure and lawabiding nature. Then the domestic listed SOEs will have the chance to embrace incentive stock options, which would be promoted if the trial results were good. Executive facelift As for more than 900 listed SOEs, the personnel structure of the boards of directors will pro b ably face substantial change. That’s because the plan states that if the s t o ck option incentive mechanism is going to be implemented in listed SOEs, external directors should account for half of the board of directors. The trial plan introduced the concept of external directors for the first time. The external director should be legally remended by directors of listed SOEs, and should not be working in the listed SOEs or in a holding pany, said the