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 (e.g. shareholders, executives and directors) are examined. Special attention is paid to the effectiveness of reforms designed to enhance managerial accountability, in particular: 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.
Module syllabus
By the end of this unit a successful student will be able to:
20 lectures and 7 two-hour seminars
The unit will be assessed by two 2,000 words essays (each worth 50% of the unit mark).
Students will also be required to submit one formative essay of 1,500.
The assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
There will not be a main textbook or casebook for the course. Detailed reading lists will be supplied during the course of the year. The following will be useful sources of reference:
Other useful books:
Statutes
The most appropriate statute book for this course is: M. Moore, Company Law Statutes 2014 – 2015 (Routledge) which, unlike many of the other statute books, contains reference not only to the main pieces of UK companies legislation but also to other important sources of corporate governance regulation.