MGMT09023 2019 Corporate Governance

Appreciate the corporate governance and ethical issues pertaining to organisations.

Understand corporate governance theories and frameworks application to various corporate governance structures.

Critically evaluate the key factors shaping the debate on the recent development of corporate governance regulations and codes.

Critically review approaches to corporate governance internationally.

Live learning and campus-based learning

Synchronous online learning will occur weekly. The use of real case studies, problem-based learning and guest lecturing will be part of this learning experience.

Campus-based learning once per term. Students will contribute to the plan for the campus-based component of this module. 

Assessment One:

Individual Project (40%) - critique a corporate governance section from the annual report of an Irish Listed Company

Assessment Two:

Group Work (20%) - students to choose an organisation for in-depth investigation of the Broad of Directors and their governance perspective and effectiveness. The organisation can be an example of governance failure/ facing significant challenges or be a model for effective corporate governance on an industry, national or global scale.  Suggest group choose a publicly listed company due to the availability of information.  Lecturer to approve choose a company. 

Assessment Three:

Essay (40%) - Key issues in Corporate Governance today and how best to address them.  Critically assess whether Corporate Governance is an adequate tool to address the challenges for Corporations.

The repeat assessment strategy will be dependent on overall grades and will be decided and documented at the Progression and Award Boards

Repeat submissions are capped at 40%.

LO1) Appreciate the corporate governance and ethical issues pertaining to organisations. Students will begin by gaining an understanding of what cooperate governance is, including is its definition, history, and its application to today environments. Types of corporate governance systems will be reviewed, including the composition of the board of directors, corporate control and the role of non-executive directors. Real life examples in public, private and third sector will be used to outline the complexes of the governance process and the challenges that may occur within this including coronate governance failures.

LO2) Understand corporate governance theories and frameworks application to various corporate governance structures.  Two paradigms will be examined, the principal agent's theory and the contingency theory. In addition,  basic governance institutions will be examined i.e. the annual meeting, the board, management, outside stakeholders.  Students will also acquire an understanding of shareholder and stakeholder views of cooperate governance systems. 

LO3) Critically evaluate the key factors shaping the debate on the recent development of corporate governance regulations and codes.  Key shaping factors such as personalities,  business model and industry context, ownership, legal and political environments will be explored. Recent case studies exploring corporate governance regulations and codes will be reviewed against who were the shapers of these documents/guidance.

LO4) Critically review approaches to corporate governance internationally. The student will get the opportunity to review and examine the striking differences between countries’ corporate governance systems, including the difference in the ownership and control of firms, the board philosophies,  that exist across countries including outsider and insider systems of corporate governance.