The median total return for the 100 companies, including share price and dividends, rose 22% last year but only 7% in 2011, the study notes.

WSJ: Plots & Ploys: Get Rich Less Quick

In a recent Compensation Committee meeting, one of the executives participating in the meeting asked whether or not I favor Total Shareholder Return (TSR) as a performance measure for performance share plans.

FORBES: Performance Share Plans -- The Best of Both Worlds

Their performance related rewards are determined in large part by total shareholder return, which is dominated by what has happened to the share price.

BBC: Why break up bid for Vodafone looms