Corporate Governance

Stanford Closer Look Series

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The Evolving Battlefronts of Shareholder Activism
ESG Investing: What Shareholders Do Fund Managers Represent?
ESG Ratings: A Compass without Direction
See Also Research in Corporate Governance
See Also Accounting
Insights on accounting, including the study of the pricing of securities and the design of performance measurement systems.
Executive Education
Directors’ Consortium
16 Oct 2023 – 20 Oct 2023
In-Person
Learn leading-edge strategies, frameworks, and best practices for making complex board decisions — with customized cohorts for public and private company board members

Latest Stories in Corporate Governance

December 15, 2022
Written
By Revealing More, Private Firms May Lure Investors Away From Public Equity
Investments in publicly traded companies shift when their private competitors share information, a new study finds.
Accounting
llustration of an outstretched arm holding a magnifying glass, and a man walking up the arm toward it. iStock/SvetaZi
December 08, 2022
Written
Tax Avoidance Has Become a Key Part of IPO Planning
Many soon-to-be public companies are already one step ahead of the tax collector.
Accounting
A Multi-ethnic group of business people working around a conference table. Credit: iStock/courtneyk
November 10, 2022
Written
The ESG Generation Gap: Millennials and Boomers Split on Their Investing Goals
Younger investors are more willing to put money behind environmental and social goals — even if it’s costlier.
Sustainability
Illustration of young woman balancing on a tightrope with a coin in one hand and a globe in the other hand. | iStock/treety
November 04, 2022
Written
Reporter Offers Scathing Reassessment of “Lionized” Business Titan
Author David Gelles says former GE CEO Jack Welch spurred era of “profits over people.”
Leadership
Jeffrey Pfeffer (left) and David Gelles (right). Credit: Lisa Sanchez-Corea Simpson
October 27, 2022
Video
Class Takeaways — Business and Government
Five lessons in five minutes from Anat Admati and Robert E. Siegel, on leaders’ roles in creating trustworthy institutions and markets.
Leadership
Class Takeaways — Business and Government video image
October 27, 2022
Written
Digital Assets and Climate Change Pose New Challenges for Accountants
Mary Barth explains why investors need better information on new and hard-to-quantify risks.
Accounting
Two men standing on either side of a wide open gap on white platforms in front of a blue sky, looking down in puzzlement. iStock/Martin Barraud
August 25, 2022
Written
Collusion Course: Why Price-Fixing Schemes Survive or Collapse
A look at the Vitamins Inc. cartel reveals what causes businesses to choose conspiracy over competition.
Economics
The slightly obscured silhouettes of three businessmen standing in a dark business room, with charts and graphs on the table in front of them. iStock/shironosov
August 08, 2022
Written
Many Companies Aren’t Prepared to Replace Underperforming CEOs
Boards often don’t think about shaking up the C-suite until it’s too late.
Corporate Governance
a 3-d rendering of spheres, with one sphere on a top ledge, near the top of a ladder. Credit: iStock/akinbostanci
May 10, 2022
Audio
Masterclass on Effective Corporate Governance
There comes a time in every company’s journey when leaders need to formalize systems and structures to support growth.
Corporate Governance
Grit & Growth logo
May 03, 2022
Audio
Corporate Good vs. Social Good: Can Investors Have Both?
In this podcast episode, we compare several investment strategies used for achieving social impact.
Finance
All Else Equal podcast logo
April 28, 2022
Audio
Brain Trust: How to Make an Incredible Advisory Board
Strategically add expertise to your business with an independent advisory board.
Entrepreneurship
Grit & Growth logo
April 19, 2022
Written
The Promise and Pitfalls of Investing for Change
Navigating the line between opportunity and uncertainty in the ESG boom
Finance
Illustration of various cuttings of a map, pieced together to form a larger map that shows a road curving along it. Illustration by Tyler Comrie
April 08, 2022
Written
Are Big Companies’ Net-Zero Pledges a Well-Intentioned Shell Game?
The world of climate promises and carbon offsets is “like the Wild West, where anything goes,” says Stefan Reichelstein.
Sustainability
Small green stickers that say "eco friendly" posted on top of an engraving of a factory belching smoke. | Credit: Tyler Comrie.
March 21, 2022
Written
Hey, Employers: Job Hunters Really Want to See Your Diversity Data
People are drawn to companies that show they have more diverse workforces, a new study finds.
Career & Success
A Black woman sitting in an office with another female employee going over paperwork. iStock/kate_sept2004
March 18, 2022
Written
“Getting the Truth Out:” A Reporter on a Mission to Keep Corporations Accountable
Wall Street Journal investigative journalist Emily Glazer discusses recent Facebook exposé.
Corporate Governance
Photo illustration of Mark Zuckerberg overlaid with a torn newspaper motif. | Credit: Tricia Seibold (Reuters/Erin Scott, iStock)
February 11, 2022
Written
Should Tech Companies Make It Harder to Fire the CEO?
Younger technology companies do better with a little less shareholder democracy, a new study finds.
Corporate Governance
A businessman's hands protect a chess king piece from falling wooden blocks or dominoes. | Credit: iStock/AndreyPopov.
October 27, 2021
Written
Why Divestment Doesn’t Hurt “Dirty” Companies
A new analysis finds that selling off stocks in corporations that don’t meet your values has minimal impact on their behavior.
Finance
Coal-burning power plant with two smokestacks and rising smoke into a blue sky. iStock/acilo
October 13, 2021
Written
How To: Five Steps Toward Getting on Boards
Tips for landing a seat in the boardroom at any stage of your career.
Corporate Governance
Colleagues gathered for a board meeting. Credit: iStock/FangXiaNuo
August 24, 2021
Audio
Masterclass on the Ins & Outs of Mergers & Acquisitions
Lessons from M&A deals in emerging markets.
Entrepreneurship
Grit & Growth: The Podcast
July 26, 2021
Written
What Executives Are Really Saying When They Dodge Questions
Linguistic analysis helps interpret what’s behind non-answers during corporate earnings calls.
Corporate Governance
Silhouette of three board members in a dark conference room. Credit: iStock/FangXiaNuo