Skip to main content

The Ethics of Corporate Governance in Global Perspective

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Corporate Governance and Business Ethics

Part of the book series: Studies in Economic Ethics and Philosophy ((SEEP,volume 39))

  • 4678 Accesses

Abstract

Although corporate governance has become a familiar term in all regions of the world, substantial regional variations with regard to basic assumptions, terminology and conceptual distinctions have been identified in comparative corporate governance studies. Such regional variations are particularly evident in the case of the ethical dimension of corporate governance. All corporate governance regimes are premised upon ethical assumptions about the role and responsibilities of corporations in society. In some corporate governance regimes these ethical premises are explicitly articulated, whilst in others the ethical premises are only implicit, but not less real. A number of conceptual distinctions related to the ethics of corporate governance will first be introduced that will then be used to identify and articulate the ethical dimension of corporate governance regimes in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America. After the ethical dimensions peculiar to each of these regional corporate governance regimes have been identified, a discussion of the main factors that can explain differences in the ethics of corporate governance within and across the above regions will follow.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    An earlier version of the chapter has been published in the conference proceedings of the Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Conference held in Belgaum, India in December 2009 (Kalkundrikar et al. 2010).

References

  • Bebchuk, L.A., and M.J. Roe. 1999. A theory of path dependence in corporate ownership and governance. Stanford Law Review 52: 127–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becht, M., P. Bolton, and A.A. Röell. 2002. Corporate governance and control, Finance Working Paper No. 02/2002, European Corporate Governance Institute, available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=343461

  • Bedicks, H.B., and M.C. Arruda. 2005. Business ethics and corporate governance in Latin America. Business and Society 44: 218–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berle, A.A. 1931. Corporate powers as powers in trust. Harvard Law Review 44: 1049–1074.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coffee, J.C. 1998. Inventing a corporate monitor for transitional economies: The uncertain lessons from the Czech and Polish experiences. In Comparative corporate governance: The state of the art and emerging research, ed. K.J. Hopt, H. Kanda, M.J. Roe, E. Wymeersch and S. Prigge, 67–138. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, J., and J. Roberts. 2001. Introduction: An ethic for corporate governance? Business Ethics Quarterly 11: 67–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demise, N. 2005. Business ethics and corporate governance in Japan. Business & Society 44: 211–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, T., and L.E. Preston. 1995. The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence, and implications. Academy of Management Review 20: 65–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M. 1970. The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits, The New York Times Magazine, 13 September 1970, 32–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gedajlovic, E.R., and D.M. Shapiro. 1998. Management and ownership effects: Evidence from five countries. Strategic Management Journal 19: 533–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodpaster, K.E. 1993. Business ethics and stakeholder analysis. In Business ethics: A philosophical reader, ed. T.I. White, 205–220. New York, NY: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansmann, H., and R. Kraakman. 2001. The end of history for corporate law. Georgetown Law Journal 89: 439–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalkundrikar, A.B., S.G. Hiremath, and R. Mutkekar, eds. 2010. Business ethics and corporate social responsibility. MacMillan: Delhi.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimber, D., and Lipton, P. 2005. Corporate governance and business ethics in the Asia-Pacific region. Business and Society 44: 178–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koslowski, P. 2009. The ethics of corporate governance: A continental European perspective. International Journal of Law and Management 51: 27–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monks, R.A.G., and N. Minow. 2004. Corporate governance, 3rd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, Y.R.K. 2009. The ethics of corporate governance: An Asian perspective. International Journal of Law and Management 51: 17–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romano, R. 1998. Empowering investors: A market approach to securities regulation. In Comparative corporate governance: The state of the art and emerging research, ed. K.J. Hopt, H. Kanda, M.J. Roe, E. Wymeersch and S. Prigge, 143–217. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw, G.J. 2005a. Business ethics and corporate governance: A global survey. Business and Society 44: 32–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw, G.J. 2005b. Business ethics and corporate governance in Africa. Business and Society 44: 94–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw, G.J. 2009a. The ethics of corporate governance: Crucial distinctions for global comparisons. International Journal of Law and Management 51: 5–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw, G.J. 2009b. The ethics of corporate governance: Global convergence or divergence? International Journal of Law and Management 51: 43–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw, G.J., and A.J.G. Sison, eds. 2006. Global perspectives on ethics of corporate governance. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossouw, G.J., A. van der Watt, and D.P. Malan. 2002. Corporate governance in South Africa. Journal of Business Ethics 37: 289–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, L.V. 2005. Corporate governance and business ethics in North America: The state of the art. Business and Society 44: 40–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shleifer, A., and R.W. Vishny. 1997. A survey of corporate governance. The Journal of Finance 52: 737–783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West, A. 2009. The ethics of corporate governance: A (South) African perspective. International Journal of Law and Management 51: 10–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieland, J. 2005. Corporate governance, values management, and standards: A European perspective. Business and Society 44: 74–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, S.B. 2009. The ethics of corporate governance: The North American perspective. International Journal of Law and Management 51: 35–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G.J. (Deon) Rossouw .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rossouw, G.(. (2011). The Ethics of Corporate Governance in Global Perspective. In: Brink, A. (eds) Corporate Governance and Business Ethics. Studies in Economic Ethics and Philosophy, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1588-2_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics