What is corporate governance explain its purpose and importance in stakeholder point of view?

What is the stakeholder theory of corporate governance?

The stakeholder theory of corporate governance focuses on the effect of corporate activity on all identifiable stakeholders of the corporation. This theory posits that corporate managers (officers and directors) should take into consideration the interests of each stakeholder in its governance process. This includes taking efforts to reduce or mitigate the conflicts between stakeholder interests. It looks further than the traditional members of the corporation (officers, directors, and shareholders) and also focuses on the interests of any third party that has some level of dependence upon the corporation. Stakeholders are generally divided into internal and external stakeholders.

  • Internal Stakeholders - Are the corporate directors and employees, who are actually involved in corporate governance process.
  • External Stakeholders - May include creditors, auditors, customers, suppliers, government agencies, and the community at large.

These stakeholders exert influence but are not directly involved in the process. Key to the stakeholder theory is the realization that all stakeholders engage in some manner with the corporation with the hope or expectation that the corporation will deliver the type of value desired or expected. The benefits may include dividends, salary, bonuses, additional orders, new jobs, tax revenue, etc.

Back To: Corporate Governance

Related Topics

  • What is Business Governance?
  • Who are the members of a corporation?
  • What is a closely-held corporation?
  • What is a Private Company vs a Public Company?
  • What is the role and purpose of the corporation?
  • What is the Agency theory of corporate governance?
  • What is the Stakeholder theory of corporate governance?

Discussion Question

How do you feel about the stakeholder theory of corporate governance? Should external stakeholders have rights or even be considered in the governance process? Why or why not? To what extent does the current state of corporate governance law focus on the external stakeholder? How, if at all, do you see this trend changing in corporate governance laws and practice?

Academic Research

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The purpose of corporate governance is to facilitate effective, entrepreneurial and prudent management that can deliver the long-term success of the company.

Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Boards of directors are responsible for the governance of their companies. The shareholders’ role in governance is to appoint the directors and the auditors and to satisfy themselves that an appropriate governance structure is in place.

The responsibilities of the board include setting the company’s strategic aims, providing the leadership to put them into effect, supervising the management of the business and reporting to shareholders on their stewardship.

Corporate governance is therefore about what the board of a company does and how it sets the values of the company, and it is to be distinguished from the day to day operational management of the company by full-time executives.

In the UK for listed companies corporate governance it is part of the legal system as the latest  UK Corporate Governance Code applies to accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019 and,, applies to all companies with a premium listing of equity shares regardless of whether they are incorporated in the UK or elsewhere.

But good governance can have wider impacts to the non listed sector because it is fundamentally about improving transparency and accountability within existing systems. One of the interesting developments in the last few years has been the way in which the ‘corporate’ governance label has been used to describe governance and accountability issues beyond the corporate sector. This can be confusing and misleading as UK Corporate Governance has been built and developed to deal with the governance of listed company entities and not designed to cover all organisational types that may have different accountability structures.

Many academic studies conclude that well governed companies perform better in commercial terms.

Further reading

  • Corporate governance codes and reports
  • Corporate governance reviews and inquiries
  • Articles and thought leadership on the principles of corporate governance

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What is corporate governance and its purpose?

The purpose of corporate governance is to facilitate effective, entrepreneurial and prudent management that can deliver the long-term success of the company. Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Boards of directors are responsible for the governance of their companies.

How stakeholders benefit from corporate governance?

Corporate Governance is essential to develop added value to the stakeholders. Corporate Governance ensures transparency which ensures strong and balanced economic development. This also ensures that the interests of all shareholders (majority as well as minority shareholders) are safeguarded.

What is corporate governance and stakeholders?

The stakeholder theory of corporate governance focuses on the effect of corporate activity on all identifiable stakeholders of the corporation. This theory posits that corporate managers (officers and directors) should take into consideration the interests of each stakeholder in its governance process.

How does corporate governance affect stakeholders?

Establishing a Governance Framework Ensures the fair treatment of all shareholders, including minority and foreign shareholders. This means recognizing that all have a part in the company proportionate to their ownership. Properly listing the company on a public register is a way of promoting this principle.