Corporate governance remains a critical topic of public interest in the 21st Century, an era which has seen the power of institutional investors increase, governance scandals and executive remuneration dominate headlines, and debates around shareholder activism come to the fore, all whilst the global impact of corporations has grown.
However, ideas about how corporations should be governed vary widely and there is disagreement on such issues as the purpose of the corporation, the role of boards of directors, the rights of shareholders, and the proper way to measure corporate performance.
The issue of whose interests should be considered in corporate decision making is particularly contentious, with some authorities giving primacy to shareholders’ interest in maximizing their financial returns and others arguing that shareholders’ other interest, e.g. in corporate strategy, executive compensation, and environmental policies, etc and the interests of other stakeholders must be respected as well.
This module examines these contentious areas of corporate governance and directors’ duties through doctrinal and theoretical lenses. The module engages with the latest literature and thought to provide a critical discussion forum to enlighten understanding of these complex and engaging issues.