Recommending Books for Purchase (Bulletin 62 - May 2020): Corporate Governance

This new book examines the relationship between agency theory and executive pay. It argues that while Jensen and Meckling (1976) were right in their analysis of the agency problem in public corporations they were wrong about the proposed solutions. Drawing on ideas from economics, psychology, sociology and the philosophy of science, the author explains how standard agency theory has contributed to the problem of executive pay rather than solved it. The book explores why companies should be regarded as real entities not legal fictions, how executive pay in public corporations can be conceptualised as a collective action problem and how behavioral science can help in the design of optimal incentive arrangements. An insightful and revolutionary read for those researching corporate governance, HRM and organisation theory, this useful book offers potential solutions to some of the problems with executive pay and the standard model of agency.    

This book explores the challenges and opportunities presented by the formulation of a global code of conduct for transnational corporations. It assesses the current state of research on global regulations intended to enhance the social responsibility of transnational corporations, and provides a platform for future research. In particular the book examines frameworks and instruments for regulating social responsibility, reviews recent developments concerning the proposed UN Code of Conduct on Transnational Corporations, and provides insights into international civil society groups' movements in pursuit of a code of conduct. In a separate chapter the book discusses theoretical issues in regulating transnational corporations, and investigates their legitimacy and behavioral dynamics. In closing, the book discusses alternatives to a global code of conduct, the impact of sovereign power in the era of globalization, "soft regulations," and the feasibility and normative efficacy of enforcing regulations.

This book discusses the implementation of sustainability in corporate governance mechanisms since 2013 and assesses how much the role of the Board of Directors has changed as a result. The study explores the impact of legislation upon corporate governance in two European contexts, the UK and Italy, which have been affected differently by changes in national regulations since 2013. This investigation relies first on the analysis of interviews administered to the boards of directors of Italian firms, to highlight how far sustainability objectives were considered a real priority for their firms and how their role evolved in terms of specific duties and practices. Second, thanks to a rich dataset from 2013 to 2017, the investigation considers the corporate governance reports of top Italian and British listed firms, to identify how the integration of sustainability within corporate governance has been evolving since 2013, and how it has been disclosed. This insider perspective provides the reader with a set of tools useful for analysing firms' engagement towards sustainability, and for assessing whether listed firms practice what they preach.

Focusing on the dichotomous and comparative analysis of the legitimacy, paradigm, and operating frames of bank governance and its reproduction in the new financial regime following the global financial crisis, this book examines in depth how corporate governance in bank institutions is legitimized, justified, and delivered in diversified financial models and their influences on the Chinese banking industry. By combining this type of financial model analysis with the new institutionalism theory, the book lifts the mysterious veil from corporate governance in Chinese banking institutions with regard to its establishment and constant changes. Through a kaleidoscope lens and by conducting a "layer by layer" diagnosis, the book tells the "background stories" of the complex settings for Chinese financial institutions, asks and answers the paradigmatic question of for whom banks are actually run and governed, and mind-maps the main corporate governance mechanisms and practices prevalent in Chinese banks. 

The book discusses the concepts of E-Governance from the understanding of a naïve user. While providing introduction to the concept, it shows the status of E-Governance in India through various measures, and its progress through different case studies. The historical development of E-Governance around the world and its rise in few developed and developing nations have also been discussed. The book also elaborates the establishment of E-Governance in India in detail and then compares the progress in Indian states through different measures and metrics. The structure of the E-Governance in India has been explained, including the explanation of the details related to National E-Governance Plan. The book is a combination of theoretical and practical concepts defined over various aspects of E-Governance in India. This book serves as the first stage reading material for any individual working in the Indian region on E-Governance.

The aim of this book is to investigate the discursive power of two original, theoretical lenses when applied to real outsourcing arrangements and phenomena. The Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and Foucauldian perspectives are brought to bear on five outsourcing relationships in order to test the application of these discourses to rich qualitative data over the outsourcing contractual life-cycle. This will be the first study illustrating the relevance of Foucauldian concepts of governmentality, discourse and power relations to the study of outsourcing arrangements, and will also incorporate the perspectives of both client and supplier organizations. Using discourse analysis, the objective is to critically deconstruct and provide fresh insight into the normative 'outsourcing' discourse that has grown up around global sourcing practices over the last 30 years.

This book provides an insight in the phenomenon of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), including the various forms of corporate restructuring. It highlights the importance of M&A as a strategy for faster growth in the corporate. The book provides an enriched experience of the art of valuation with detailed description of M&A process, deal structuring and financing. The book also provides the broader perspective of Accounting and Regulatory aspects of M&A.  While covering the conceptual underpinnings of M&A, the book supplements it with real life examples on each sub-topic with various numeric examples. Thus the judicious blend of theory and practical aspects, through numerical as well as real life case-studies, make the book a source of vast knowledge in the complicated and dynamic world of M&A.

This book is a capstone to the magisterial career of one of Japan's most senior scholars of risk, accounting, and management. How can companies and organizations navigate today's world, rife with unexpected challenges and opportunities? In this trenchant book, Nishimura offers case studies, theoretical models, and useful strategies for the new normal. This book will be useful to scholars, businesspeople, and bankers. 

This book focuses on enhancing management theories of Knowledge-Intensive Organizations (KIOs), analyzing academic and research institutions and multilateral agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO). The first part of the book discusses the trusteeship norms of academic KIOs and institutional barriers that generate bias in selecting the research agenda. The author then discusses how moral stakeholders affect a legitimate research scope, and research policies and academic KIOs address the issues. Finally, the book addresses how to control private incentives that stem from ownership components as well as ways to build alliance and governance mechanisms for this purpose. This work provides researchers with a discussion of the broader impacts of addressing global common goods from responsible KIO perspectives.