The Origins

In "The Concept of the Corporation," to quote the noted management guru Peter Drucker, modern big business is something that must be accepted by every country, for it is obvious that modern industrial technology requires some form of big-business organization.  Therefore, "Big Business" is something that must be accepted as the very center of any modern industrial society.  The central question, then, is not whether we want Big Business, but what we want of it; and what organization of Big Business and of the society it serves is best equipped to [help us] realize our wishes and demands..."

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News & Updates

July 4, 2009

VANGUARD SHAREHOLDERS VOTE ON GENOCIDE-FREE INVESTING PROPOSAL

Source:Investors Against Genocide

At today’s Vanguard shareholders meeting, results were announced on votes cast by millions of Vanguard customers on adopting a policy to prevent Vanguard from investing their savings in companies that substantially contribute to...[more]

July 2, 2009

SEC Proposes Measures to Improve Corporate Governance and Enhance Investor Confidence

Source:SEC

The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted on three measures that are intended to better inform and empower investors to improve corporate governance and help restore investor confidence. [more]

June 30, 2009

Plan Sponsors CalSTRS in deal with 5 on climate change disclosure

Source:Pensions and Investments

CalSTRS won agreements from MetLife, Assurant, Noble Energy, Range Resources and Spectra Energy to improve their climate change disclosure in return for withdrawing the $122.4 billion system's shareholder proposals on the issue...

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Research & Insights

June 25, 2009

South Africa and Brazil take ESG lead

Source:Financial Standard

South African and Brazilian companies have been identified for their progress on integrating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) disclosure by global institutional investors

June 3, 2009

Scheme use of responsible investment policies soars - ESG

Source:Professional Pensions

It said trustees were the driving force behind this process - noting three-quarters of trustees surveyed believed that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors could have a material impact on the fund's investments in...

April 16, 2009

The Conference Board Says Corporate Directors Should Prepare to Avoid Shareholder Activism, as the Financial Crisis Intensifies Proxy Demands

Source:The Conference Board

The Conference Board Governance Center issued today a report providing board members with a checklist of issues they should consider addressing in their relations with shareholders and, in particular, how to avoid a costly and...

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Commentary & Opinion

July 1, 2009

Tomorrow's Problems and Yesterday's Solutions

Source:Robert A. G. Monks

I do not know sometimes whether I am particularly paranoid or whether others are stupid or, perhaps a bit of both. Either choice is unpleasant. And yet, most of the suggestions by “corporate governance reformers” are either so...[more]

June 24, 2009

Is 'Shareholder Democracy' Finally Coming?

Source:Law.com

Effective Aug. 1, 2009, significant amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) are likely to facilitate ongoing efforts by activist shareholders to have direct access to companies' proxy statements for the...

June 23, 2009

What’s in Store for 2010 Proxy Season?

Source:Compliance Week

With the 2009 proxy season winding down, governance experts are already looking ahead at what the 2010 proxy season will hold for public companies and their shareholders

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