"We think it would be best practice to have some acknowledgment of failure by waiving elements of remuneration," said Tom Powdrill, head of communications at PIRC, a UK firm that advises institutional investors on corporate governance.
"From a corporate governance perspective there's got to be some recognition that under performance-related remuneration when things go badly wrong you don't get a payout."
Banks across Europe are aware that scrutiny on executive pay has been heightened and are wary of how to handle the situation, several industry observers said.
Several banks said the decision lies with individual executives, and some fear a move by all the board would signal their bank is to blame for the problems, the observers said, adding that bonus structures should reflect the falling profits and share price.
European and U.S. banks could take more pre-emptive action, however. "There has to be a certain amount of humility shown by the senior executive of the banks," said Steven Friel, a litigation partner at Davies Arnold Cooper solicitors in London.
"There is a sense in middle America that they have been let down by Wall Street. Anything short of the humility that Deutsche Bank has shown in this will be unacceptable to the public," he added.