The growth of shareholder value has been a major change in Western economies since the 1980s. This growth has reignited debates concerning relations between investors and managers. This book argues that investors are more than passive providers of finance, on whose behalf managers seek to maximize shareholder returns. Instead, many investors directly influence management practice, through investor engagement. The book examines the role of institutional investors and private equity firms, two types of investors with overlapping but different reasons for engagement. Questions addressed include: What are the incentives, and disincentives, for investment engagement? How is investor engagement organized? What areas of management practice are of particular concern to investors? The discussion shows in detail how private equity firms play a major role in developing new companies, beyond the provision of finance, especially in the IT, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical sectors. The discussion is primarily based on British and US research. The debate has wider international relevance, because there are strong pressures for establishing shareholder value as the international 'norm' for systems of corporate governance. Following a detailed discussion of Germany, the authors conclude that there is no inevitable trend to shareholder value: shareholder value depends upon complementary institutional arrangements in national business systems, which are far from universal. The book concludes with a critical analysis of the justifications for shareholder value and investor engagement, highlighting the weaknesses of both efficiency and equity justifications.

All over the world, companies play an important role in the economy. Different types of stakeholders hold the reins in these companies. An important class are the shareholders that finance the activities of these companies. In return, stakeholders have a say on how these companies should be organized and structure their activities. This is primarily done through voting and engaging. These mechanisms of voting and engaging allow the shareholders to decide significant aspects of the company structure, from who governs it to how much directors are paid. However, how shareholders vote and engage and how far their rights stretch are organized differently in different countries. This pioneering book provides insights into what rights these shareholders have and how the shareholders of companies in nineteen different jurisdictions participate in corporate life through voting and engaging. Comparative and international in scope, it pays particular attention to how jurisdictions align and differ around the world.

Covering pertinent areas of sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) this forward-looking book examines SRI in developing markets including its evolution, principles and concepts. It explores the drivers and challenges in developing economies and analyses the theoretical underpinnings to critical issues pertaining to SRI.

Long-term value creation—the board's new agenda. A big shift in public ownership has created a new set of challenges for boards. Index funds managed by firms like Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street represent an emerging class of permanent institutional investors who are focused on creating and preserving long-term corporate value. These investors are stating in no uncertain terms that simply managing for short-term shareholder profit is not acceptable. Bill McNabb, Ram Charan, and Dennis Carey have been on the front lines of these changes with the investment community, corporate boards, and top-level management teams. Since TSR (total shareholder return) cannot keep the short and long term in balance, the authors argue, boards should focus on a different kind of TSR—talent, strategy, and risk—because decisions and actions around these factors, more than any others, determine whether or not a company creates long-term value. This book redefines the board's agenda and explains how to: Build and incentivize the right leadership team Help leaders take a longer view and communicate it to investors Refresh board composition and create diversity to meet the new challenges Keep major risks, such as cyberattacks and sexual harassment allegations, front and center Analyze the business through the eyes of a shareholder activist With the new realities of corporate ownership, boards need to lead for the long term. This authoritative book shows them how.

The relationships between investors, directors and companies have never been so vital, or so confusing. Gone are the days when being a non-executive director (NED) meant an agreeable lunch and when CEOs wanted them to meet investors 'over my dead body'. Even the most admired companies can be engulfed in scandal and the NEDs find themselves having to drive through fundamental changes. The corporate environment is full of pitfalls for unwary boards. And there are plenty of headline stories of directors who have failed to measure up. Equally, a high quality board which has the confidence of the investors is a major strategic asset: making better decisions, attracting better people and allowing bolder strategies to succeed with investor backing. Nicholas Beale uses research gathered from leading FTSE 100 chairmen, directors, non-executive directors and investors to explore their changing roles. What emerges is a fascinating and instructive picture of constructive engagement; an approach that sees these companies (and the people behind them), each in their own way, address the challenges that are at the heart of global capitalism, and that have lead to the Higgs Review, Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory attempts to address corporate mismanagement. From discussions with over 100 leading practitioners, detailed studies of three leading companies, three leading investors and an extended case study on investor engagement at Royal Dutch Shell, the author draws a series of ideas and guidance for all of the parties involved. Sadly this book has come too late for the directors and investors of those companies that have crashed and burned, but all others who are, or aspire to be, directors or significant investors in listed companies should read this book, learn the lessons it has to offer and start adopting them in the organization(s) with which you work and in the portfolios you develop. For more information visit www.conseng.net

The ethical and legal scandals at Enron, WorldCom, Tyco and many other businesses in the United States, Europe and Asia have shaken people's confidence in business. Corporate Integrity and Accountability seeks to address questions of corporate integrity as they arise for financial reporting, executive compensation, globalization, and business ethics itself. The chapters are the product of leading business ethicists—both academic and practitioner—in the U.S. and Europe, resulting in the application of different methodologies, sources, and forms of argument. This gives the reader a sense not only of the complexity of some of the ethical issues business faces, but also the richness of the various resources that are available to address these issues.