Syllabus

Title
4917 S4INTF1/2 Corporate Governance
Instructors
Univ.Prof. Seppo Ikäheimo, Ph.D.
Contact details
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
02/03/20 to 02/23/20
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Tuesday 03/31/20 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM D4.0.136
Wednesday 04/01/20 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM D4.0.136
Thursday 04/02/20 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM D4.0.136
Wednesday 05/13/20 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM Online-Einheit
Friday 05/15/20 09:00 AM - 01:00 PM Online-Einheit
Monday 05/18/20 09:00 AM - 01:00 PM Online-Einheit
Wednesday 05/27/20 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM Online-Einheit
Contents

This course is an advanced course which emphasizes the role of both good and bad governance in the corporate success and in the society. The course underlines the major problems of corporate governance with principle-agency and stewardship approaches and how institutions of corporate governance are solutions for these problems. The course aligns the theoretical thinking with empirical and practical solutions within the field of corporate governance. The course offers the diversity of solutions and helps to understand the country and company specific practices of corporate governance. The course aligns the theoretical thinking with empirical and practical solutions.

Learning outcomes

After completing this class the student will have the ability to:

  • use the concepts of corporate governance in every day thinking;
  • understand the role of good governance in the corporate success;
  • understand the relationship between the company management, board of directors and shareholders;
  • understand the reasons for the variety in corporate governance practices both within one country and between countries and the recent trend of convergence in corporate governance practices;
  • understand the theoretical basis of the Board of Directors, Investor Relations, Executive Compensation, Internal Control and risk management, corporate governance regulation, and various roles of owners in corporate governance, and the logic how they work;
  • understand how corporate governance bundles are constructed;
  • evaluate the quality of corporate governance practices.

Furthermore, after completing this class the student will have the ability to:

  • work independently writing analytical essays based on given material and apply it empirically;
  • work effectively in a team in order to contribute appropriately to the production of a group output, report and presentation;
  • participate in class-room, kgroup and one-to-one discussion.


Besides, after completing this class the student will have the ability to:

  • use scientific argumentation skills in the discussions;
  • write a short research report based on academic papers and empirical material.
Attendance requirements

You are allowed to be absent in one session. Otherwise absence accepted only in case of illness or accident.

Teaching/learning method(s)

Classroom work including interactive lectures by Seppo, probably some mini cases and finally presentations by students
Diary where individual company is analyzed based pre-readings. Each student selects (one publicly quoted) company for detailed analysis.
During the lectures, we will use students’ companies as illustrative cases on the discussed topic. With these case companies, students bring practice into the lectures.
Students’ reports and presentations offer an opportunity to go deeper in specific topics.

Assessment

During the course you may achieve 100  points comprising of following elements:

  • max 25 points  learning diaries
  • max 15 points  presentation
  • max 20 points  report
  • max 40 points  final written exam

Opportunity for upgrade based on classroom activities.

Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists
  • Positive completion of each of the four courses of the subject "Basics Finance, Accounting and Taxation".
  • Positive completion of at least six courses of the subject "Advanced Finance, Accounting and Taxation".
  • Pre-allocation to elective.v
Readings
1 Author: Agarwal V., Taffler R.J., Bellotti X. & Nash E.A.
Title:

Investor relations, information asymmetry and market value.
Accounting and Business Research, 46, 31-50.


Year: 2016
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Type: Journal
2 Author: Aguilera R.V., Filatotchev I., Gospel H. & Jackson G.
Title:

An Organizational Approach to Comparative Corporate Governance: Costs, Contingencies, and Complementarities.
Organization Science, 19:3, 475-492.


Year: 2008
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Type: Journal
3 Author: Connelly B.L., Hoskisson R.E., Tihanyi L. & Certo S.T.
Title:

Ownership as a form of corporate governance.
Journal of Management Studies, 47, 1561-1589.


Year: 2010
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Type: Journal
4 Author: Fernandes N., Ferreira M.A. & Murphy K.J. Frydman C. & Jenter D.
Title:

Are U.S: CEOs Payed More ? New International Evidence.
Review of Financial Studies, 26:2, 323-367.


Year: 2013
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Type: Journal
5 Author: Hermalin B.E. & Weisbach M.S.
Title:

Boards of Directors as an Endogenously Determined Institution: A Survey of the Economic Literature.
Economic Policy Review, 9, 7-26.


Year: 2003
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Type: Journal
6 Author: Mikes A. & Kaplan R.
Title:

Towards a Contingency Theory of Enterprise Risk Management.
Harvard Business School, Working Paper 13-063.


Year: 2013
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
7 Author: Renders A., Gaeremynck A. & Sercu P.
Title:

Corporate-governance ratings and company performance: A cross-European study.
Corporate Governance: An International Review, 18, 87-106.


Year: 2010
Type: Journal
8 Author: Roe M.J.
Title:

The institutions of corporate governance. Harvard Law School, Discussion Paper 488, only pages 1-16


Year: 2004
Content relevant for class examination: Yes
Recommendation: Essential reading for all students
Recommended previous knowledge and skills
  • Financial statement analysis
  • Corporate finance
  • Valuation
Availability of lecturer(s)

Via email whenever you need: seppo.ikaheimo@aalto.fi

Accroding to agreement.

Unit details
Unit Date Contents
1

Getting organized,

Introduction to the corporate governance and Basic concepts of corporate governance.

2

Basic concepts and Institutions of corporate governance

Readings:

  • Roe, 2004
3

Diversity of corporate governance internationally and between firms

Readings:

  • Aguilera et al, 2008
4

Themes will be specified with the students and includes student presentations

Readings:

  • will be included
5

Themes will be specified with the students and includes student presentations

Readings:

  • will be included
6

Themes will be specified with the students and includes student presentations

Readings:

  • will be included
7

Final Exam

Last edited: 2020-04-01



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