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Corporate Governance

Cutting-edge research with the goal of developing high-performing boards.

Established in 2010, the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre (ICGC) has been actively engaged in making a distinctive contribution to the knowledge and practice of corporate governance. Its vision is to be the driving force in a vibrant intellectual community that contributes to academic and real-world impact in corporate governance globally. 

The ICGC harnesses faculty expertise across multiple disciplines to teach and research on the challenges of boards of directors in an international context. The centre also fosters global dialogue on governance issues, with the ultimate goal of developing high-performing boards. Through its educational portfolio and advocacy, the ICGC seeks to build greater trust among the public and stakeholder communities, so that the businesses of today become a strong force for good for the economy, society and the environment.

Cutting-edge research with the goal of developing high-performing boards.

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Leadership & Organisations

Winning the Game of Boardroom Chess

M. Jarrett, A. J. Yap, C. LeBaron

How subtle, seemingly innocuous actions can shift the balance of power in your favour.

Leadership & Organisations

OpenAI's Crisis Is Yet Another Wake-Up Call

T. Evgeniou, Y. Lechell, L. Van der Heyden

Effective governance can save AI doomers, accelerationists, altruists and techno-capitalists from themselves.

Leadership & Organisations

Ten Ways Boards Need to Transform

Annet Aris

How governance must pivot in the face of accelerating change.

Strategy

Shareholder Activism at What Price?

Philipp Meyer-Doyle

Financially driven campaigns waged by institutional investors against companies can lead to more workplace illness and injury.

Leadership & Organisations

How Leadership Shapes Sustainability Governance

Ron Soonieus

Amid regulatory and societal pressures to meet sustainability standards, strong personal leadership in the boardroom is needed to ensure competitive advantage and corporate longevity.

Strategy

The Importance of Strategic Minds

Y. Doz, K. Wilson

Directors and CEOs need to develop specific traits to effectively navigate strategic issues and help shape the future of companies.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Governance in the Age of Technological Innovation

Geraldine Ee

With new technologies redefining the global business ecosystem, how can boards navigate these changes and reinvent their business models?

Entrepreneurship

What All Tech Start-Ups Need to Succeed

T. Evgeniou, L. Van der Heyden, Y. Lechelle

Governance exists to help tech entrepreneurs prevent value destruction from day one.

Entrepreneurship

The Power of Governance for Tech Start-Up Success

T. Evgeniou, L. Van der Heyden, Y. Lechelle

Lessons from a serial entrepreneur on why good governance is crucial for tech start-ups to succeed.

Responsibility

In Times of Chaos, Know Yourself

Marc Le Menestrel

Self-aware leaders see the beauty in chaos and look within to find meaningful solutions.

Strategy

Managing in an Unimaginable World

José Santos

Business leaders can leverage serendipity to help their companies deal with far-reaching market shocks.

Responsibility

Rising to the ESG Challenge: Towards Effective Governance

Geraldine Ee

Boards can drive the ESG agenda effectively by identifying what is material to their organisation and being willing to adapt along the way.

Leadership & Organisations

The X Factor in Crafting New CXO Roles Successfully

J. L. Alvarez, S. Svejenova

CXO roles have proliferated in recent decades, making it difficult for some title holders to find their footing in an ever-changing C-suite landscape.

Leadership & Organisations

What the World Can Learn From Nordic Boards

S. Shekshnia, S. B. Jensen, L. Engstam

Proactive, engaged and democratic, corporate boards in Nordic countries are well-placed to deal with today’s increasingly complex operating environments.

Responsibility

Climate Change Gets Up Close and Personal for Board Members

Ron Soonieus

Shell’s directors are the first to face legal action for mismanaging climate risk. Two new INSEAD reports offer advice to board members seeking to avoid the same fate.

Operations

‘Tech for Good’ Needs a ‘Good Tech’ Approach

T. Evgeniou, L. Van der Heyden

Responsible practices using tested processes must be the focus when creating new technology.

Leadership & Organisations

Senior Leaders As Chief Reframing Officers

Ben M. Bensaou

The important role of leaders in giving their employees the space and permission to get creative.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

AI: A World of New Opportunity and Risk

T. Evgeniou, K. Firth-Butterfield, A. Sarkar, C. Zimmerman

A new toolkit for C-suite execs on how to responsibly adopt artificial intelligence.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How Nasdaq’s Board Diversity Rule Creates Potential for Real Change

F. Henderson, Z. Kinias, C. Zeisberger

The new rules requiring qualitative and quantitative disclosure about board diversity will better inform investors and (hopefully) spur further progress.
3 comments

Responsibility

Leading Climate Strategy From the Board

R. Soonieus, L. Besland, A. Breeden

Many boards fail to walk the talk when it comes to fighting climate change. Here are some straightforward solutions for directors.
1 comment

Responsibility

Using Corporate Social Initiatives to Build a Purpose-Driven Organisation

C. Bode, M. Rogan, J. Singh

An impact-driven intrapreneurial venture can be a useful stepping stone for changing a company’s DNA, but its unintended consequences need to be managed carefully.

Responsibility

The Sustainability Imperative for the Legal Profession

N. C. Smith, R. Soonieus

Lawyers should step up to help the world seize its “last best chance”.

Leadership & Organisations

Aligning Individual and Organisational Values

M. Guadalupe, Z. Kinias, F. Schloderer

How employees’ personal values fit within their organisation.
1 comment

Strategy

CEOs Who Play to Type Win the Market

Guoli Chen

An important CEO attribute that shapes firm strategies such as mergers and acquisitions is uncovered.

Responsibility

Encouraging Sustainability: Why the Business Case Isn’t Enough

M. Le Menestrel, J. Rode, N. Heinz, G. Cornelissen

The business case for pro-environment investments makes sense intuitively, but appealing to executives’ sense of responsibility might work better.

Strategy

The Relationships That Create Successful Acquisitions

Laurence Capron

A study of start-up acquisitions shows important patterns on both sides lead to a successful integration.

Responsibility

Three Ways Digitalisation Changes Corporate Responsibility

N. C. Smith, L. Lankoski

The Fourth Industrial Revolution changes the 'who', 'whom' and 'what' of corporate responsibility.
1 comment

Family Business

When Nepotism Pads CEO Pay: Evidence From Indian Family Firms

Balagopal Vissa

Poor corporate governance in emerging economies allows some publicly listed family firms to use CEO pay to exploit corporate resources at the expense of minority shareholders.

Strategy

Do CEOs Matter?

S. H. Lee, G. Chen

Conditions that underpin the power and impact of chief executives vary widely, with remarkable results.

Leadership & Organisations

The Next Decade Will Be a Leadership Game Changer

Stanislav Shekshnia

Success begins with a clear-eyed understanding of the trends that will define the years to come.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

The Group Dynamics That Define Well-Functioning Boards

Vincent H. Dominé

There is an intangible aspect to successful boards that cannot be captured by curating the right CVs.

Leadership & Organisations

What Ails Corporate Executive Committees?

Jose-Luis Alvarez

Fragmentation among top leadership teams is widespread. CEOs should pay heed – and sharpen their most important strategy execution tool.

Responsibility

How Boards Can Steer Companies to “Build Back Better”

N. Craig Smith & Ron Soonieus

The momentum for sustainability is strong despite misgivings over current financial strains. Few businesses can afford to ignore it.

Strategy

How Hedge Fund Activists Influence Target Firms

Understanding settlement agreements is important to see the complete picture of the corporate governance landscape.

Leadership & Organisations

A Checklist for Boards in the New Normal

S. Shekshnia, V. Zagieva, M. Nazarova

Covid-19 has spurred corporate boards to improvise new practices while keeping those that have served them well. Here’s a run-down.

Leadership & Organisations

Pandemic or No, It’s Business as Usual for Boards

S. Shekshnia, V. Zagieva, M. Nazarova

For now, corporate boards prefer to keep the status quo – and the long view – in the face of Covid-19 upheaval.

Leadership & Organisations

Power, Politics and Crisis Response on the Board

It’s not the individual directors – it’s the competing coalitions they form that determine what boards will do.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Three CEO Strategies to Guide Companies Through Crises

S. Shekshnia, M. Nazarova

We distil top executives’ experience for the ideas that work.

Leadership & Organisations

Covid-Era CEOs Are ‘Keen, Tough or Edgy’

S. Shekshnia, M. Nazarova

Not all CEOs are created equal, but everyone can come out of this crisis stronger.

Leadership & Organisations

Seven Questions for Corporate Boards Navigating COVID-19

Stanislav Shekshnia

A guide to steering companies effectively through the crisis and beyond.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

The Role of the Board in Times of Distress

J. Winter, E. van de Loo

If companies are to survive the coronavirus, corporate boards need to exercise collaborative, proactive leadership.

Operations

A Crisis Management Blueprint for COVID-19

L. Van der Heyden, P. Nathanial

Crisis is conquered through a positive combination of talents and competencies.
1 comment

Strategy

Maximising Outcomes in Impact Investing

Jasjit Singh

Debates on whether investing for impact should involve financial compromises are moot. Here’s the more relevant question: How can different kinds of investors optimise their societal impact?
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Putting More Women at the Helm of Corporate Boards

Stanislav Shekshnia, Veronika Zagieva & Victoria Zimina

Women make great board chairs. If only there were more of them.

Leadership & Organisations

A Corporate Governance Paradigm Shift

Directors need to prepare for board renewal and transformation on many levels.
1 comment