Corporate governance: Could the use of a behavioral lens lead to more impactful research?

Corporate governance: Could the use of a behavioral lens lead to more impactful research?

The Centre for Technology Innovation and Engagement (C-TIE) invite Leeds University Business School Staff and Students to join us for this in person seminar to be given by Dr Jan Stolker  to be held on 22 April 11am to 12noon in rooms 1.03/1.04 Charles Thackrah. Jan’s talk will cover corporate governance, an immensely important topic for policy makers, that has been studied for decades by scholars in the accounting and finance, economics, and management (especially in the context of strategic leadership and decision-making) fields. Despite extensive research on the topic and more intense regulation over the years, corporate governance failures abound. The recent collapse of FTX, a crypto currency investment firm, and the water pollution scandals involving 3M and Chemours, two major chemical concerns, suggest a lack of sound corporate governance. The question then arises whether governance scholarship is having sufficient impact on improving governance practice. Based on Jan’s career experiences as both executive and non-executive director at a range of organizations, in this seminar Jan brings to light some of the key reasons why corporate governance does not work as well as we would want it to, and how researchers could have more impact on the adoption of governance practices that have potential to deliver. Particularly, Jan highlights how the use of a behavioral lens to study board dynamics offers an opportunity to inform the implementation of governance practices that could help companies become more purpose driven in terms of pursuing both profit and prosocial goals.

Dr Jan Stolker is Director Leadership & Governance at EURAC/ESAA, the executive education institute of Erasmus School of Economics. In 2009, he founded the Erasmus Governance Institute, the post-graduate education center for non-executive directors. He is an active researcher and writer in the field of corporate governance, leadership, behavioral economics, and sustainable business. His 2023 book on Behavioral Governance has received widespread acclaim in both academic and practitioner networks.  He is co-editor of the Dutch corporate governance journal Goed Bestuur & Toezicht. In addition, Jan Stolker serves as boardroom advisor to companies in distress, and is invited regularly to speak on topics such as corporate governance, private equity, finance, accounting and risk management. Jan Stolker graduated in 1980 as an economist from Erasmus University Rotterdam, specializing in public finance and marketing. He began his business career at Amro Bank NV, holding management positions in corporate banking across Western Europe and in New York, USA. In 1990, he became co-head of Global Risk Management at the newly merged ABNAMRO Bank NV. From 1994 to 2002, he was the founder and CEO of ABNAMRO Capital, the global private equity division of the bank, active in 17 countries. Since 2002, focusing on distressed enterprises, Jan has successfully executed 20 corporate restructurings in Western Europe. His first-hand experience in corporate governance comes from 22 formal non-executive board positions across Europe in quoted and private equity-owned companies, family enterprises, and organizations in the non-profit sector.

No registration is necessary.