Corporate Governance

Culture, Ethics and ESG: Expanding the Scope of Governance

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Culture Ethics and ESG: The New Frontiers of Governance Topics hide Culture Ethics and ESG: The New Frontiers of Governance Culture: The Invisible Hand of Behaviour Ethics: The Compass Beyond Compliance ESG: From Side Issue to Strategic Core Case Studies: Culture, Ethics, ESG in Action Wells Fargo: When Incentives Turn Toxic Volkswagen: Performance at Any … Read more

Board Dynamics: Non-Executive vs Independent Directors

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Non-Executive vs Independent Directors: The Watchers on the Wall Topics hide Non-Executive vs Independent Directors: The Watchers on the Wall Origins: Why Boards Needed Outsiders Non-Executive Directors: The Generalist Overseers Independent Directors: A Higher Standard Case Studies: Independence on Trial Enron (U.S.) Carillion (UK) Toshiba (Japan) Wirecard (Germany) Board Culture: The Subtle Enemy of Independence … Read more

Shareholder Activism and the Role of Institutional Investors

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Shareholder Activism: From Passive Owners to Reluctant Governors Topics hide Shareholder Activism: From Passive Owners to Reluctant Governors Raiders at the Gate: The First Act From Raiders to Reformers The Rise of the Sleeping Giants Activism Reimagined: Climate, Culture, and Capital Governance Lessons from Case Studies AT&T: Elliott’s Blueprint Carillion: The Silence of Investors ExxonMobil: … Read more

Corporate Failures as Governance Lessons: From Enron to Carillion

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Corporate Governance Lessons – Every corporate failure tells a story—not only of mismanagement and fraud, but of governance breakdowns that allowed problems to grow unchecked. Enron, WorldCom, Lehman Brothers, Carillion, Wirecard, Toshiba, Parmalat, Steinhoff—different countries, industries, and circumstances, yet all expose the same truth: good governance is fragile when boards fail to act. This article examines … Read more

Good Corporate Governance – Foundations of Trust and Accountability

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Good Corporate Governance: Governance as the Nervous System of Business Topics hide Good Corporate Governance: Governance as the Nervous System of Business The Four Pillars of Good Governance United States: Rule-Based Governance and the Power of Law United Kingdom: Principle-Based Governance and “Comply or Explain” Continental Europe: Stakeholders and Supervisory Boards Asia: Tradition Meets Modern … Read more

The UK Corporate Governance Code – Comply or Explain in Practice

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The UK Corporate Governance Code: A British Invention with Global Impact Topics hide The UK Corporate Governance Code: A British Invention with Global Impact The Origins of the Code: Cadbury, Greenbury, Higgs The Principle of “Comply or Explain” The Core Provisions of the UK Code Case Study: Carillion – When Governance Fails Other Illustrative Cases … Read more

Step 5 – Monitoring Activities: The Continuous Pulse of Internal Control

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Executive summary Step 5 – COSO Monitoring Activities If information and communication form the nervous system of an organization, monitoring activities are its pulse check. They test whether the internal control system is alive, effective, and responsive under real-world conditions. Monitoring does not simply ask whether policies exist—it provides continuous feedback on whether those policies … Read more

Project Plan for an Integrated Costing System in an International B2B Industrial Company

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Project Plan for an Integrated Costing System in an International B2B Industrial Company Topics hide Project Plan for an Integrated Costing System in an International B2B Industrial Company Project Plan as a Roadmap: From Start to Result Conclusion An integrated costing system is the backbone of any industrial company: it shows where money is earned … Read more

Step 3 – Control Activities: The Brakes and Steering Wheel of the Organization

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Executive summary – Step 3 – COSO Control Activities If risk assessment is the radar that scans the horizon, control activities are the brakes and steering wheel of the organization. They are the mechanisms that allow leadership to respond to risks with precision: slowing down when approaching danger, steering around obstacles, and navigating safely on … Read more

Step 2 – Risk Assessment: The Radar of the Organization

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Executive Summary: Step 2 – COSO Risk Assessment If the control environment is the soil in which governance takes root, risk assessment is the radar that continuously scans the horizon. It gives direction and foresight, telling organizations not only what lies ahead but also which storms may approach, which opportunities might appear as new markets, … Read more