The future of governance
‘Has corporate governance become a process of compliance with standard and external approaches, codes and models that seem detached from the practical process of business building and satisfying stakeholder interests? Some boards delegate the observance of codes – or doing just enough to justify ticking a box – to a corporate legal or company secretarial team, rather than think about better ways of operating, or how a board might add more value.’
The role of stewardship
‘The role leading institutional investors choose to play in the governance of listed companies in which they invest is principally driven by the nature and size of their holdings, significantly affected by diversification, and resourcing required for various stewardship activities at home and abroad. As such, it is ultimately a costs-benefits analysis, which also involves forming a view on the potential for free-riding.’