THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Common Courses (Management School)

Postgraduate Course: Corporate Governance (CMSE11279)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits15 ECTS Credits7.5
SummaryThe recent financial crisis and major business scandals reminded the public the importance of corporate governance and business ethics in investor protection and well-being of the capital markets. The aim of the course is to provide an introduction to the important theories of corporate governance. The course will cover the topics on corporate board, ownership structure, CEO pay and turnover, institutional investor, regulatory reforms and corporate social responsibility.
Course description Given the dramatic development of emerging markets such as China and India, the course also focuses on the comparative aspects of corporate governance and on the different legal regimes found in different parts of the world. This module aims to equip students with a critical understanding of the important themes in corporate governance and business ethics.

Syllabus:

Theoretical aspects of corporate governance
Executive Compensation and Turnover
Directors and Board Structure
Ownership structure
Institutional investors
Family-owned firms
Development of corporate governance codes
Stakeholders and social responsibility
Financial reporting quality
Research methods in corporate governance

Student Learning Experience:

The learning occurs primarily through reading and thinking about the academic articles or chapters of books recommended and discussion in class when appropriate or with classmates. This reading is supported by the programme of ten lectures, in each of which an overview of the topic is presented and the main issues are summarized. All students are expected to actively participate in class discussion.

Students are expected to solve the given problem sets, and present the solutions in the 4 seminars.

Learning takes place in the following stages. Prior to each session students are required to complete the required reading. During the session the bullet points on the slides will be used to focus the discussion and to help to summarise key issues. As the structure of the course is designed to be cumulative students will be expected to bring their learning and insights from previous sessions to bear on subsequent sessions.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary.
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Understand and critically discuss the role of corporate governance in firms where there is separation of ownership from control.
  2. Understand and critically discuss the importance of corporate governance in sustainable development.
  3. Critically evaluate the relationship between various corporate governance regimes and different models of capitalist development.
  4. Understand and critically discuss different views of the nature and purpose of the public corporation, of the corporate share, and of corporate shareholding.
Reading List
Christine A. Mallin, 2010, Corporate Governance, 4th Edition, Oxford University Press
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Intellectual Skills

Having successfully completed this module, students will be able to:
* Explain and critically analyse the legal, societal and governmental aspects of corporate governance;
* Understand the role of board structures in corporate governance;
* Evaluate whether executive compensation arrangements are properly used to mitigate the agency problem
* Understand the role of capital markets in aligning the interests of managers with shareholders;
* Compare Anglo-Saxon systems of corporate governance systems with those of Emerging Financial Markets such as China and India.

Personal development and subject specific skills

Having successfully completed this module, students will be able to demonstrate:
*Presentation skills; (reflected in the group project presentation)
* Analytical and critical skills; (reflected in the exam)
* Interpersonal skills. (reflected in the exam)
Additional Class Delivery Information The learning approach will involve a combination of taught classes, group presentation, discussion and self study. The key issues will be introduced in the lecture programme. The conceptual elements are reinforced by the use of self studies and classroom discussion. Students on the course are also required to undertake an element of self-study by completing the exercises and analysing the issues in preparation for classroom discussion, and through exploring the additional readings.
KeywordsfinCorporateGovernance
Contacts
Course organiserDr Wenxuan Hou
Tel: (0131 6)51 5319
Email: Wenxuan.Hou@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Carrie Innes
Tel: (0131 6)51 3757
Email: carrie.innes@ed.ac.uk
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information