Understanding the Company: Corporate Governance and Theory (Introduction)

'Understanding the Company: Corporate Governance and Theory', Barnali Choudhury & Martin Petrin, eds. (Cambridge University Press, Forthcoming)

18 Pages Posted: 1 May 2016

See all articles by Martin Petrin

Martin Petrin

University of Western Ontario

Barnali Choudhury

University College London - Faculty of Laws; York University - Osgoode Hall Law School

Date Written: April 1, 2016

Abstract

This essay is the Introduction to a volume entitled, 'Understanding the Company: Corporate Governance and Theory,' forthcoming with Cambridge University Press.

In addition to introducing all of the contributions in the volume, the essay surveys the book's main themes: the nature of the company and corporate theory; the diverging schools of thought on conceptualizing the firm; corporate rights and duties; and the means and ends of corporate governance, that is the issue as to who should have the ultimate decision-making power in corporations and for whose benefit corporations should primarily operate.

With society operating increasingly under the dominance of businesses and businesses being exposed to increasingly dense regulation, it has become more imperative than ever to understand today's company ('corporation') and its function and place in society. Defining a company and its accountability too narrowly may have contributed to the last financial crisis, while defining its role too widely can impair its ability to contribute to economic growth. Understanding the company is therefore a continuous mystery and a question in need of an answer. This essay and the chapters in this book thus aim to contribute to a better understanding of the modern company and what its role in society should be.

Keywords: Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Corporate Theory, Comparative Corporate Governance

JEL Classification: K22, G34

Suggested Citation

Petrin, Martin and Choudhury, Barnali, Understanding the Company: Corporate Governance and Theory (Introduction) (April 1, 2016). 'Understanding the Company: Corporate Governance and Theory', Barnali Choudhury & Martin Petrin, eds. (Cambridge University Press, Forthcoming), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2770971

Martin Petrin

University of Western Ontario ( email )

1151 Richmond Street
London, ON, N6A 3K7
Canada

Barnali Choudhury (Contact Author)

University College London - Faculty of Laws ( email )

Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens
London, WC1E OEG
United Kingdom

York University - Osgoode Hall Law School ( email )

4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
Canada

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