For instance, the size (or quantum) of pay is rightly an issue of public debate, but to assume that executives are solely aiming to maximise their total reward is a mistake.

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They simply clip total return and reward advisers handsomely.

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Even so, the majority of decades provided attractive total returns sufficient to reward shareholders for the wild ride.

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The pay strategy must reward ethical behavior and correlate total salary with performance.

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Less obvious, but historically better for shareholders in terms of higher stock prices, companies can reward existing shareholders by using free cash flow to reduce the total number of shares outstanding.

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Her next goal is to lose 15 more pounds -- for a total of 25 -- by her birthday, March 24, and reward herself with a digital single-lens reflex camera, which professional photographers use.

CNN: A 10-pound milestone in a 2009 journey