Keeping Good Company: A Study of Corporate Governance in 5 Countries

by Jonathan Charkham

Corporate governance, the role played by the board of directors, has changed dramatically in recent years, as boards become more assertive in their watchdog function. In Keeping Good Company, Jonathan Charkham--whom The Financial Times of London recently dubbed "Mr. Corporate Governance"--provides an insightful comparative study of corporate governance in five major industrial powers: Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Charkham points out that the best systems seem to be collegial in style, and that contrary to the saying that the best committees are committees of one, group management is actually the most efficient way of running a large and complex operation. This book brilliantly demonstrates that a sound framework for the exercise of corporate power is an economic necessity. It will be essential reading for all top executives, especially those working for multinational corporations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198289871
• ISBN13: 9780198289876
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 9.0" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Who did he talk to in order to get such an insider's view?

Although the author is Brittish, his major contribution was to provide such a detailed account of corporate governance practices in Japan, Germany and France where literature is rarer. US and UK summaries are useful if you want to get all the essentials in no more than 40-50 pages. Competing corp. gov. reviews of countries are too superficial compared to this one. For the corp. gov. country analysis I am writing I elected his format as role-model, and his depth and insightfulness as a goal! I just wished I had the same kinds of contacts (in the country I am writing about) Charkham seems to have in ALL 5 countries.