Unit name | Issues in Corporate Governance |
---|---|
Unit code | LAWD30001 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
Unit director | Ms. Boeger |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
LAWD20037 Company Law |
Co-requisites |
LAWD20037 Company Law |
School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit explores the key features of corporate governance. The focus is on UK corporate governance but, where relevant, a comparative angle is examined. The unit provides an overview of the economic and institutional dynamics that influence the use and control of decision-making power in publicly traded companies. The rights, duties and obligations of key participants in corporate governance (especially the board of directors and shareholders) are examined. Special attention is paid to the effectiveness of reforms designed to enhance managerial accountability, including institutional shareholder activism; the use of independent directors; audit and risk management techniques; the design and control of executive remuneration; hostile takeovers and the market for corporate control. There will also be seminars exploring corporate social responsibility, female representation on boards and post-crisis corporate governance reforms in the UK banking sector.
By the end of this unit a successful student will be able to:
20 lectures and 7 two-hour seminars
1 formative assessment: 1 x 1,500 word coursework. Formative assessments do not count towards final mark and can be optional.
2 x summative assessments: 2 x 2,000 word coursework. Summative assessments do count towards final mark. The assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
There is no single textbook for this course. We refer to a range of relevant books, papers and articles in the core reading for each seminar. However, you will note that for each seminar, the core reading includes chapters from the following two books, both of which offer good outlines of the relevant themes: