Sky Blog
I remember that day in 2006 at my OECD office in Paris when a colleague told me he had received a call from the Saudi government. The gentleman on the other end of the line had been inquiring about circuit-breaker …
Corporate governance research has historically focused on agency costs (imposed by professional managers) or principal-principal expropriation (imposed by dominant shareholders). We seek to reverse this theoretical focus on private benefits of control, and its preoccupation with the principal/shareholder and agent/manager …
In 2020, the Nasdaq stock market filed a proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seeking permission to adopt a board diversity-related disclosure requirement for its listed companies. In 2021, the SEC approved the proposal, making Nasdaq the most …
In the corporate governance literature, there’s little about the corporate secretary, an information intermediary for the board, who attends all board meetings and serves a role inextricably linked to the risk of litigation. Corporate secretaries (CSs) advise the board and …
Can we speak of a “purpose” for corporations or, more broadly, corporate law? The doctrine of shareholder primacy has long had an easy answer: Both individual corporations and corporate law should strive to maximize shareholder wealth. But this reductive and …
In recent years, climate change and stakeholder demand for sustainable practices have prompted increasing numbers of companies to account for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in their business strategies. Companies’ success in doing so can be measured with ESG …
Each of the two most oft-propounded notions of ESG – environmental, social, and governance – carries some persuasive weight in the debate about ESG’s impact on corporate governance. If ESG results in a sharper focus on risk management and better …
New research provides evidence that legally nonbinding commitments from corporate managers to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles may help predict subsequent corporate behavior. [1] This study provides cautiously optimistic evidence that CEOs who claim to consider the ethical implications …
Over the past couple of decades, we’ve witnessed enormous progress on LGBTQ+ issues. As a result, the closet remains largely off people’s radar – but for the generation of those who occupy corporate leadership positions, it’s very much a live …
Corporate governance and political governance are increasingly intersecting, as corporations engage in some of the most contentious and important social challenges of our time with their voice, capital, and actions. In a recent article, I examine this new convergence …
Business has always had to adapt to new technologies, from the steam engine to the automobile to personal computers. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) and closely related developments like Big Data analytics and machine learning are the technologies transforming business, along …
In the corporate governance landscape, the influence of passive index funds and common ownership has become a focus of scholarly and public debate. As the largest asset management firms in the world, the Big Three (BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street …
It has often been argued that the ‘S’ in ESG has been overshadowed in the ESG acronym, having long played third-fiddle to corporate governance and environmental concerns. There are various reasons for this, one being that the social pillar has …
In recent years, regulatory shifts in financial reporting have garnered significant attention, especially concerning their implications for corporate governance and market dynamics. One notable change was the 2017 regulatory adjustment on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), where small-cap firms were …
In determining how much to pay their CEOs, U.S. companies typically use “benchmarking,” setting compensation at or above the median of what peer firms pay their CEOs. This practice is designed to enable firms to retain talented CEOs and to …
In recent years, one of the most significant developments in corporate governance has been the adoption and expansion of voting choice programs by the largest institutional investors. Such changes have come in response to growing scrutiny and pressure from asset …
In recent years, boards of directors have confronted a strategic dilemma: whether to appoint specialized directors or engage external consultants to advise them on various aspects of their business. This decision has significant implications for a board’s accountability, the application …
Does the rise of artificially intelligent corporations threaten the integrity and legitimacy of democracy? This question looms large as the 2024 presidential election approaches. A growing number of academics, business leaders, and politicians warn that unchecked development and dissemination of …
Yesterday’s news that Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk, asked a supplier to redirect scarce chips needed for artificial-intelligence development from Tesla to other Musk-owned companies followed reports that Donald Trump is considering Musk for a role in a new administration. …
Classified boards of directors (BoD) remain one of the sorest of sore spots about portfolio companies. Investors complain about them endlessly. Proxy advisors loathe them. Shareholder proposals to de-classify tend to succeed.
Sure, many new IPOs and de-SPAC companies start …