Call for Proposals – Inaugural ICGS Conference
‘Restoring Trust in Business through Corporate Governance’
September 18-19, 2015 at the Copenhagen Business School
In our information-based economy, the reputation of a business is essential to its success and survival. The trust of investors, consumers, employees, and the general public as well as regulators can have a direct and profound effect on a company’s bottom line and even its viability. Recently, the importance of reputation has become apparent, as companies such as JP Morgan, BP, and Toyota have had to manage their responses to crises in order to maintain or resurrect the reputation of their companies to their stakeholders. Notably, the Pew Research Center recently reported that 78% of Americans believe “too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few corporations.” This perception is not unique to the United States, as discussed by Colin Mayer in his new book entitled, Firm Commitment. Notably, Professor Mayer will be one of our featured keynote speakers. The corporate governance system has a major influence on the public’s view of the trustworthiness of business. Each corporate governance system is composed of corporate governance mechanisms that are both external and internal to the firm’s boundaries. Because most external corporate governance mechanisms are regional or national in scope, multinational firms increasingly must deal with transnational corporate governance pressures, which are often not well integrated and conflicting.
The International Corporate Governance Society (www.icgsociety.org) will focus its inaugural conference on how corporate governance systems work to enhance trust in business, and deepen our understanding of how failures in corporate governance systems degrade trust in business. Due to our inter-disciplinary nature, we think of corporate governance in broad terms – those systems and mechanisms designed to channel corporate power for the well-being of society. As such, corporate social responsibility initiatives and the cultivation of ethical practices fit within our conceptualization of corporate governance as they can be labeled “self-governance” mechanisms.
We invite you to consider submitting a research proposal that advances our understanding of the antecedents and outcomes of corporate governance systems and practices. The proposal must draw from previously unpublished original research. Well-crafted work in progress is welcome. Specifically, we invite authors to submit a 10,000 (maximum) word research proposal that includes the following sections: (1) Title page: Title of the proposed presentation, author name(s), author affiliation(s,) e-mail address(es), designated conference track (see below), and a 200 to 300 word abstract which describes the essence of your proposal; (2) Extended abstract: Narrative description of the essence of your conceptual or empirical study; and (3) Supporting material: Tables, figures, and references which support the extended abstract. Overall, the proposal should not exceed 10 single-spaced pages in length. Proposals must be submitted by 12 midnight (EST) on March 30, 2015 to conf@icgsociety.org in order to be considered for presentation.
Each research proposal will be double blind refereed. A decision on your conference submission about its inclusion in the conference program will be provided by May 15, 2015 at the latest. The very best proposals will be invited to submit a full research paper of approximately 30-40 double-spaced pages by July 30, 2015 in order to be considered for the best conference paper award. The author(s) who win this award will be recognized during the conference and receive a $1,500 check provided by the Harold S. Geneen Institute of Corporate Governance.
CONFERENCE TRACKS.
Within each proposal on the title page, the authors should indicate which of the eight tracks in the program their proposal best fits. The conference tracks are listed below.
- TRACK A: Theme: ‘Restoring Trust in Business through Corporate Governance’. This track explores how trust is antecedent to, related with, and/or generated by corporate governance systems and practices. We will consider all levels of trust or distrust – individual, group, corporate, industry, and national – and we seek to understand how corporate governance is influenced by or influences trust.
- TRACK B: Boards of Directors. Every corporation in the world is led by a board of directors. However, in some nations, corporate boards are vested with great power and responsibility; while in other nations, the board is an impotent pawn. Furthermore, the power and influence of corporate boards often varies within national economies and industries. In this track, we seek to understand the antecedents, processes and effects of boardroom effectiveness.
- TRACK C: Ownership. Every corporation in the world is also owned by a single or array of investors. These owners have a vested interest in seeing that the corporation is governed well. In this track, we will explore the antecedents and outcomes associated with different ownership profiles throughout the global economy.
- TRACK D: National Governance Environments. This track focuses on corporate governance mechanisms and outcomes within a single national governance environment. Typically, this governance environment is within a national economy. Multiple governance mechanisms operating within a single governance environment are especially welcome.
- TRACK E: Transnational Governance Environments. In our increasingly global economy, pressure and accountability is exerted from transnational non-governmental institutions. In this track, the antecedents and effects of comparative governance systems is explored. Corporate governance research surrounding the multinational firm fits well in this track.
- TRACK F: Multi-Level Governance Systems. Recent research has shown that corporate governance mechanisms and systems often complement or substitute for each other. Furthermore, all corporate governance practices are embedded within a larger governance system. This track explores research related to corporate governance bundles and the embedded nature of corporate governance.
- TRACK G: Self-Governance. Rules, regulations, and continuous monitoring by outsiders are the norm for most governance solutions, but they are inflexible and often quite costly. When corporations choose socially-responsible behavior and/or executives possess an internal moral compass that translates into ethically-sound decisions and actions, society often benefits as does the corporation. Thus, this track seeks to understand the potential and limits of self-governance.
- TRACK H: Teaching Corporate Governance. This track seeks to enhance the teaching of corporate governance within our educational programs. Specifically, we welcome such innovations as new case studies, teaching tips, simulations, experiential exercises that have been used to convey important corporate governance concepts and relationships. In addition, any research related to online education and innovative teaching delivery mechanisms are welcome.
