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Governance

Explore the principles, practices, and frameworks that ensure transparency, accountability, and ethical decision-making in governance boards.

What is Corporate Governance? The ultimate guide

Good corporate governance is the cornerstone of ethical, responsible and transparent operations while maximizing shareholder value and safeguarding the interests of other stakeholders. As you delve into this comprehensive guide, we’ll answer the key question; what is corporate governance? In doing so we’ll explore the principles, roles, responsibilities, and emerging trends associated with good corporate […]

What is Board Governance? The ultimate guide

Board governance refers to a dedicated governing board’s decision-making process and oversight. Organizations typically hand-select board members to hold the organization accountable for carrying out its mission and ensuring the right strategic direction. It provides a framework for organizations to stay on top of their sector’s latest trends and initiatives. This often includes environmental, social, […]

“Governance has become the key driver of performance for many organizations.”

Learn more about governance at IMD, as Didier Cossin, Professor of Governance and Finance and Founder of the IMD Global Board Center, expands on how governance is a make or break in these times of transformations.

Academy of Management Review

My place: How workers become identified with their workplaces and why it matters

Where we work – our workplaces – have enormous effects on our work attitudes and behaviors. As workplaces become increasingly mobile, remote, multiple, and uncoupled from the organization for which the work is done, individuals – and their employe…

Human Resources Corporate Governance

By Blake E. Ashforth, Brianna Barker Caza and Alyson Meister

01 April 2024

I by IMD

AI = Accountability + Inclusion

Organizations must ensure they have a strategy for AI’s governance and ethical oversight. DE&I offers principles and practices that can inform decision-makers, explain Heather Cairns-Lee, Öykü IŞik, Sarah Toms, and Josefine van Zanten

Artificial Intelligence Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Corporate Governance

By Heather Cairns-Lee, Öykü Işık, Sarah E. Toms and Josefine van Zanten

21 March 2024

I by IMD

Women are bored of waiting: Slow progress on shattering the glass ceiling on company boards by Alexander Fleischmann

A pipeline of experienced, qualified senior women business leaders exists – yet their selection for board positions remains far from guaranteed

Corporate Governance Board Diversity and Equity and Inclusion

By Alexander Fleischmann

18 January 2024

I by IMD Magazine

Steward-ownership: Join the “economic avant-garde” and make a real impact

Described recently as the “economic avant-garde” by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the federal president of Germany, steward-ownership is gaining ground among companies seeking to have a positive impact on the world. To protect their mission and ensure…

Corporate Governance Purpose Sustainability

By Bryony Jansen van Tuyll

14 December 2023

I by IMD Magazine

Measuring impact wins public trust and is good for the bottom line

Impact metrics are not just about keeping regulators and investors happy, writes Sonja Haut, they can help unearth new pockets of value for companies, from talent and brand appeal to efficiency and innovation.

Corporate Governance Purpose Finance

By Sonja Haut

14 December 2023

Journal of Business Ethics

Managerial short-termism and corporate social performance: The moderating role of external monitoring

While commentators have long decried managerial short-termism, the deleterious effects of managerial short-termism on corporate social performance (CSP), and how to ameliorate those negative effects, remain underexplored. Specifically, due to the …

General Management Business Ethics Corporate Governance

By Stephen Smulowitz, Didier Cossin and Abraham Hongze Lu

01 December 2023

I by IMD

Three filters for making business decisions in the age of stakeholder capitalism

Companies have a tightrope to walk in balancing the competing interests of a broad set of critical stakeholders. This three-step framework can crystallize the delicate trade-offs — leading to better, more informed decisions.

Finance Strategy Corporate Governance

By Michael Yaziji

11 October 2023

I by IMD Magazine

Chicken or pig? New ESG rules require true board commitment

There is a well-known metaphor in business that illustrates levels of buy-in: imagine a chicken and a pig discussing a bacon and egg sandwich – the chicken is engaged, but the pig is committed! A similar change in buy-in level applies to the fast…

Sustainability Board Corporate Governance

By Jan Van der Kaaij and Sam Gill

10 October 2023

Frankfurter Allgemeine

Die Ära des Greenwashings endet

The judgments of the major rating agencies about the sustainability of companies are still often contradictory. But the chaos surrounding ESG criteria can be remedied. A guest article explains how.

Sustainability Corporate Governance

By Karl Schmedders

11 July 2023

Conference Paper

Do board policies matter for the (mis)alignment between green operational and communication practices?

The transition towards sustainable practices has increased the baseline of environmental effort deemed essential to justify a corporation’s legitimacy. Further, we know this process of change has sometimes resulted in a difference between the effo…

Corporate Governance Organizational Behavior Sustainability

By Jonathan Taglialatela, Ivan Miroshnychenko, Francesco Testa and Roberto Barontini

06 July 2023

Trusts and Trustees

Organizing family philanthropy: Mobilizing resources and setting up governance for impact

Based on their research and experience, the authors find that “best practice” philanthropists adopt a pragmatic and rigorous approach to organizing their philanthropy. That is, they tend to run their philanthropic organizations as efficiently and …

Family Business Corporate Governance

By Etienne Eichenberger, Malgorzata Smulowitz and Peter Vogel

01 July 2023

Conference Paper

Does home city matter to corporate profitability? A global study of the relationship between cities’ management model and firms’ profitability

Does city management matter? Despite the pivotal role played by cities in today’s international business landscape, we still do not know whether, everything else being equal, the improvement of a given city’s management model impacts the profitabi…

Corporate Governance

By Mahsa Memarian, Niccolò Pisani, Pascual Berrone and Joan Enric Ricart

14 June 2023

I by IMD

How to create a culture of belonging in the workplace [Video]

Fostering curiosity and considering people’s lived experience can increase well-being, motivation, and productivity in the workplace.

Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Corporate Governance Organizational Culture

By Heather Cairns-Lee

21 April 2023

EDPACS

The future role of internal audit function: Assure. Build. Consult

Chambers (2022) recently raised “a red flag” by pointing out that internal auditors have been unduly placing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks on the back burner. Internal auditors currently do not play a significant role as assura…

Accounting Corporate Governance

By Rainer Lenz and Florian Hoos

01 March 2023

Case Study

Tyre Recycling Solutions: What goes around comes around

Old tires are cumbersome, environmentally unfriendly and materially complex. A cost-effective, sustainable technological solution for dealing with them could contribute significantly to the circular economy and generate major social and economic b…

General Management Sustainability Corporate Governance

By Salvatore Cantale, Elisa Benito, Olivier Ferrari, Leila Khammari and Hongyu Li

20 December 2022

I by IMD

The silent but powerful investor: The evolution of the family office

As family offices grow in popularity and expand into riskier investments, families should take a holistic view of their whole ecosystem to build a healthy future for themselves and society, argues family business expert Peter Vogel.

Family Business Innovation Corporate Governance

By Peter Vogel

14 December 2022

I by IMD

How to make the business case for a sustainability strategy. Sustainability toolkit no. 1

In the first of a series of practical guides for organizations on sustainability, Knut Haanaes, Frédéric Dalsace, and Jules Wurlod explain why any successful sustainability strategy needs to be underpinned by a solid business case.

Sustainability Strategy General Management

By Knut Bjarne Haanaes, Frédéric Dalsace and Jules Wurlod

12 December 2022

I by IMD

The cultural solution to big tech’s ethics problem

Digital ethics boards can help companies navigate tricky ethical issues as they innovate – provided they are carefully planned, say Tomoko Yokoi and Michael Wade at IMD Business School

Innovation Technology Management Business Ethics

By Tomoko Yokoi and Michael R. Wade

07 December 2022

I by IMD

Businesses are forging ahead with climate action despite patchy progress at COP27 [Video]

The recent COP27 meeting made only limited headway on measures to tackle climate change, but climate action by companies gives more grounds for optimism, and the current challenging economic and geopolitical environment is not going to divert busi…

Sustainability Strategy Global Business

By Knut Bjarne Haanaes

02 December 2022

Case Study

J.M. Huber Corporation: Leadership succession in the face of two economic crises

J.M. Huber, one of the largest and oldest family-held companies in the US, had strategically repositioned itself several times since it was founded in 1883 as a dry-color business. Visionary family leaders and a committed senior management team ha…

Family Business Corporate Governance Sustainability

By Sameh Abadir and Marta Widz

13 April 2022

I by IMD

Why ESG should really read GES

The governance aspect of ESG is a fundamental driver of environmental and social quality. Our experts outline the methodology required to ensure board-level leadership in sustainability.

Sustainability Corporate Governance

By Didier Cossin and Abraham Hongze Lu

17 March 2022

I by IMD

How to stay profitable in an age of sustainability [Video]

It often feels like there is a conflict between delivering profits, securing your organization’s financial interests, and achieving sustainability goals. However, it is possible to balance people, profit, and planet while ensuring your firm’s succ…

Sustainability Strategy Corporate Governance

By Patrick Reinmoeller

11 March 2022

HR Today

Quand l’activisme des actionnaires rend la culture d’entreprise plus inclusive

By using their voting rights at general meetings, more and more shareholder activists are influencing HR policies and the working climate in these large firms. The investment fund Nia Capital, for example, campaigns for more diversity and inclusio…

Corporate Governance Sustainability

By Vanina Farber and Patrick Reichert

10 December 2021

I by IMD

Beyond Bezos: Amazon’s prime movers face a tricky transition

Jeff Bezos will find the move from CEO to Chairman of the Board far from easy. Didier Cossin and Michael Watkins offer advice on avoiding the pitfalls. As Jeff Bezos is soon to learn, the qualities that make a great CEO do not necessarily make a g…

Corporate Governance

By Didier Cossin and Michael D. Watkins

17 June 2021

Discover our world-leading Governance programs

Good governance is the foundation of effective leadership and organizational success. Join us as we delve into the strategies and tools that promote integrity and sustainability!

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Role of the Chair

Develop best chairing practices for boards and committees

Gain a deep understanding of how impactful board chairs fulfill their role and responsibilities, and the practices and behaviors they adopt when holding the board to its highest standard as it serves its governance mission.

Online

Mastering Board Governance

Principles and best practices for effective board membership

Gain a deep understanding of the principles and practices of good governance so you can make meaningful contributions in your new or future role as a board member.