Need for Corporate Governance

Corporate governance is the structures and processes for the direction and control of companies. It is also about the relationships among the management, Board of Directors, controlling shareholders, minority shareholders and other stakeholders. Open to public Information disclosure, high transparency and accountability are basic important elements of best corporate governance that strives the sustainability of corporations and society. To avoid mismanagement, good corporate governance is necessary to enable companies operate more efficiently, to improve access to capital, mitigate risk and safeguard stakeholders. It also makes companies more accountable and transparent to investors so as to minimize expropriation and unfairness for shareholders.

Corporate governance refers to the accountability of the Board of Directors to all stakeholders of the corporation i.e. shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers and society in general; towards giving the corporation a fair, efficient and transparent administration.

Corporate governance is about making your business work better while abiding by the rules.

Good management is, of course, critical for the operation of a company. But managers need direction in order to prioritise operations and to allocate funds.

Need for Corporate Governance

The need for corporate governance is highlighted by the following factors:

(i) Wide Spread of Shareholders

Today a company has a very large number of shareholders spread all over the nation and even the world; and a majority of shareholders being unorganised and having an indifferent attitude towards corporate affairs. The idea of shareholders’ democracy remains confined only to the law and the Articles of Association; which requires a practical implementation through a code of conduct of corporate governance.

(ii) Changing Ownership Structure

The pattern of corporate ownership has changed considerably, in the present-day-times; with institutional investors (foreign as well Indian) and mutual funds becoming largest shareholders in large corporate private sector. These investors have become the greatest challenge to corporate managements, forcing the latter to abide by some established code of corporate governance to build up its image in society.

(iii) Corporate Scams or Scandals

Corporate scams (or frauds) in the recent years of the past have shaken public confidence in corporate management. The event of Harshad Mehta scandal, which is perhaps, one biggest scandal, is in the heart and mind of all, connected with corporate shareholding or otherwise being educated and socially conscious.

The need for corporate governance is, then, imperative for reviving investors’ confidence in the corporate sector towards the economic development of society.

(iv) Greater Expectations of Society of the Corporate Sector

Society of today holds greater expectations of the corporate sector in terms of reasonable price, better quality, pollution control, best utilisation of resources etc. To meet social expectations, there is a need for a code of corporate governance, for the best management of company in economic and social terms.

(v) Hostile Take-Overs

Hostile take-overs of corporations witnessed in several countries, put a question mark on the efficiency of managements of take-over companies. This factors also points out to the need for corporate governance, in the form of an efficient code of conduct for corporate managements.

(vi) Huge Increase in Top Management Compensation

It has been observed in both developing and developed economies that there has been a great increase in the monetary payments (compensation) packages of top level corporate executives. There is no justification for exorbitant payments to top ranking managers, out of corporate funds, which are a property of shareholders and society.

This factor necessitates corporate governance to contain the ill-practices of top managements of companies.

(vii) Globalisation

Desire of more and more Indian companies to get listed on international stock exchanges also focuses on a need for corporate governance. In fact, corporate governance has become a buzzword in the corporate sector. There is no doubt that international capital market recognises only companies well-managed according to standard codes of corporate governance.