Corporate Governance And International Business

Bringing together a number of leading scholars and pioneering research, this volume explores the links between corporate governance and international business, and demonstrates how corporate governance influences the attractiveness of host countries to inward investors, as well as the internationalization strategies of MNEs themselves.

This book is designed to help Business Controllers / Accountants / Finance Directors / Bankers / Financial Analysts / Business Consultants to understand that International Business Control is much more than just a business being IFRS and US GAAP compliant, or just an extension of the domestic HQ control system. •Go beyond IFRS and GAAP to see what best practice measures can be put in place to avoid global business failure •Look at the cross-cultural issues surrounding global businesses and be easy to read, understandable and easy to memorize – a practical book for the busy financial and business control manager •Combine case studies of the best global businesses who have wide global practice (eg GE, du Pont de Nemours, Toyota, Siemens, Valéo, Scania, etc.) with advanced academic research

"The book links studies of corporate governance with surveys of efficiencies and failures in international financial markets, as well as examining aspects of corporate governance systems that have special significance for the management of economic policies as globalization continues. The contributors advocate increased international cooperation to promote more structural complementarities in the world economy."--BOOK JACKET.

This compilation serves a particularly useful purpose by presenting a full range of fascinating case studies. The editor thus enables each reader to assimilate the particulars in his own parlance, thus avoiding the almost insoluble problem of international corporate governance namely that each country uses the same words, but with utterly different meanings. Obviously, this problem has inhibited constructive conversation. After digesting these case studies, one is encouraged to derive certain generalized conclusions, among which are no matter what the terminology, the integrity of publicly traded securities depends on transparency and enforceable accountability of manager to owner. Robert Monks, Lens Governance Advisors, US This collection of thoroughly researched and well-written case studies of the governance of companies in nine countries demonstrates how far away we are from convergence in corporate governance systems. Differences in ownership structures, board composition, financial markets, accounting standards, takeover defences, legal systems, societal and corporate cultures, and even political involvement, are highlighted in this splendid collection. The book demonstrates the importance of the few core concepts that are emerging in the field, such as greater transparency, independence in non-executive directors, and the need for more effective governance. The consideration of case studies is presently the best way to understand the reality of corporate governance around the world. This book offers valuable insights to students, teachers and practitioners of the subject. R.I. (Bob) Tricker, Honorary Professor, University of Hong Kong and Founder Editor, Corporate Governance an international review Corporate governance has become a global phenomenon. This book highlights, through various case studies, how corporate governance has evolved in a number of countries around the world. The international cast of contributors, from varying professional backgrounds including academics, lawyers and company directors, focus on different regions around the globe, reflecting various ownership structures, legal systems, and political and cultural aspirations. Some of the case studies used include: Standard Life; Telecom Italia; and Eskom. Academics, directors and practitioners will find this book valuable for its insights into corporate governance developments in different legal environments and different business forms. It will also be immensely useful to postgraduate and undergraduate students for the up-to-date case studies on corporate governance, which will add depth and real world meaning to their studies.

Thomas Clarke's International Corporate Governance offers a comprehensive guide to corporate governance forms and institutions and examines the recurring crises in corporate governance and the resulting corporate governance reform around the world. While the popular structure of the original text has been retained, significant changes have been made to take account of the global financial crisis, ever-changing regulations and worldwide governance developments. Key topics include: The governance failures of international corporations such as Enron and Lehman Brothers Diversity in corporate and institutional forms across the world The role of international corporate governance standards Digital disruption in capital markets and proposals for rebuilding commitment to long-term investing The impact of financialization and corporate governance practices on increasing inequality The links between corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and sustainability This textbook contains a wealth of pedagogical material to guide the reader through this complex subject, including student questions to help with assessments, and a new companion website. There are also thirteen forensic case studies which scrutinize the governance failures seen at RBS, UBS, BP, Volkswagen and many other international corporations. International Corporate Governance will be an essential text for anybody studying corporate governance at the advanced undergraduate, master's or executive level.

The last Asian financial crisis, coupled with the western series of corporate scandals, has caused investors and citizens to doubt mangers’ ability to guarantee credible financial information about organizations. Consequently, legislators all over the world have come to realise the necessity of legislating in the area of corporate governance. This book explores several national corporate governance reform experiences from around the world (including Canada, China, the United States, and the European Union) and offers an explanatory theory with regard to national systems of corporate governance. It also underlines corporate governance as a management tool and principle. The author argues that each country should be encouraged to build its own system of corporate governance which should be harmonized with its history, culture and the level of its economic development.

In International Standardisation of Good Corporate Governance - Best Practices for the Board of Directors the Academy of Directors (AoD) presents a multidisciplinary approach for the governance of a company. The AoD also aims to use the interaction between the academic and the business world to change the environment in which companies work. This task is realised in different ways: by conducting applied scientific research, creating a large pool of professional experience and networking within the AoD, confronting these research results with the practical experience of the members, publishing these results, and organising training programmes. The AoD therefore collaborates very closely with the academic world. The Vlerick School of Management was the co-founder of the AoD, together with a great number of national and international business partners. The foundation of the AoD goes back to the initiative of its president, Mr. L.H. Verbeke (Loeff Claeys Verbeke). He was convinced that the increasing international interest in corporate governance would also affect Belgian companies, but that there was a need for an `indigenous coherent' view of corporate governance. Being at the cross-roads of different cultures and languages and at the same time being a very open economy, Belgium could not simply copy another country's code on good corporate governance. Therefore the initiative was taken to set up a broad international overview of the best practices for the board of directors, which is presented in this volume. This analysis is not only oriented towards the `famous' codes but aims to highlight as well the practical applications and problems faced in implementing these suggestions. Consequently special attention is given to the best practices for family businesses and medium-sized companies.