Corporate governance, in plain terms, refers to the rules, processes, or laws by which businesses are operated, regulated, and controlled. The term can refer to internal factors defined by the officers, stockholders or constitution of a corporation, as well as to external forces such as consumer groups, clients, and government regulations.
However, an enforced corporate governance provides a structure that, at least in theory, works for the benefit of everyone concerned by ensuring that the enterprise adheres to accepted ethical standards and best practices as well as to formal laws. To that end, organizations have been formed at the regional, national, and global levels.
In recent times, corporate governance has received increased attention because of high-profile scandals involving abuse of corporate power and, in some cases, alleged criminal activity by corporate officers. An integral part of an effective corporate governance regime includes provisions for civil or criminal prosecution of individuals who conduct unethical or illegal acts in the name of the enterprise.
Aims and Objectives
It is said that good corporate governance helps an organization achieve several objectives and some of the more important ones include:
• Developing appropriate strategies that result in the achievement of stakeholder objectives
• Attracting, motivating and retaining talent
• Creating a secure and prosperous operating environment and improving operational performance
• Managing and mitigating risk and protecting and enhancing the company’s reputation.
Some aspects covered in the poll include:
• Corporate governance regulations in India
• Corporate governance concerns in India and role of independent directors and audit committees in
addressing these concerns
• Board practices, board oversight of risk management and the importance given to integrity and ethical
values
• Practices that are fundamental to improved corporate governance.
In comparison with developed countries that impose stringent penal and criminal consequences for poor corporate governance, penalty levels in India are considered to be inadequate to enforce good governance. 71 percent of the respondents considered penalty levels to discipline poor and unethical governance to be low. 22 percent of the respondents were either undecided or did not know if the penalty levels are low.
Enforcing Clause 49
In recent years, more and more Indian companies have been raising capital overseas by getting themselves listed on international stock exchanges. These efforts have been accompanied by the Indian government's drive to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Both factors have gone hand in hand with the realization that if Indian companies want more access to global capital markets, they will need to make their operations and financial results more transparent. In other words, they will need to improve their standards of corporate governance.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which regulates India's stock markets, took a major step in this direction a year ago. It asked Indian firms above a certain size to implement Clause 49, a regulation that strengthens the role of independent directors serving on corporate boards. Have these steps made a difference to corporate governance in Indian firms?
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept through which organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact their activities have on customers, suppliers, employees, communities and the environment. This responsibility goes beyond compliance with regulations and is about organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees as well as for the local community and society at large.47 percent of the respondents believe that CSR is not high on the agenda of Indian companies. Thirty percent of the respondents were undecided on this aspect.
Integrity and Ethical Values
Indian companies have been focusing on code of conduct and whistle blower mechanism as a fundamental of good governance. Respondents were asked if similar importance was given to integrity and ethical values. Majority of the respondents say that although Indian companies give similar importance to integrity and ethical values, significant scope exists to enhance integrity and ethical values within the organization and the eco-system.
Effectiveness of Corporate Governance
Monitoring the effectiveness of corporate governance practices is also a key concept emerging in India. We asked respondents who should monitor the effectiveness of corporate governance practices. Forty-seven percent of the respondents believe that effectiveness of corporate governance should be monitored by way of corporate governance audits carried out by corporate governance specialists. Twenty-six percent of the respondents believe that it should be monitored by the boards themselves through self-assessment tools. Fifteen percent of the respondents believe that the monitoring should be by way of investors / minority shareholder groups having access to full information and another 12 percent believed that the monitoring should be through rating agencies.
Factors To Improve Corporate Governance
• 85 percent of the respondents think that the remuneration of Chief Executive
Officers (CEO) should be significantly linked to company performance
• Most respondents believe that while steps at introducing the code of conduct
and whistle blower policy have been introduced, there exists a significant need
to enhance integrity and ethical values in the larger eco-system
• 72 percent of the respondents believe it is necessary for an independent and
transparent process to evaluate performance of board members
• Two-thirds believe that exclusive sessions of independent directors are essential
• 47 percent feel that the effectiveness of corporate governance should be
monitored through audits by corporate governance specialists.
Government’s Initiatives
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has proposed the New Companies Bill 2008 which aims to improve corporate governance by vesting greater powers in shareholders. These have been balanced by greater emphasis on self-regulation, minimization of regulatory approvals and increased and more transparent disclosures. 53 percent of the respondents believe that the new Companies Act might have a limited or insignificant impact in addressing contemporary corporate governance issues in India. 28 percent of the respondents believe that its impact is likely to be positive. The remaining 19 percent were undecided.
In October 2011, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs said it was in favor of introducing a corporate governance index that would offer rankings to companies adopting governance standards. The index would offer rankings for corporate houses adopting governance standards.
The Ministry was keen to introduce a corporate governance policy to take forward the government's efforts towards better governance in companies. It had been worked out and the competition law would be revisited and amendments would be introduced soon.
Supreme Court’s Verdict
In May 2011, the Supreme Court has given a very fair judgment, with far-reaching implications both for the government and India Inc., in the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) vs RNRL gas pricing case. It has established unequivocally that the production sharing contract between the government and RIL overrides any private memorandum of understanding arrived at between two individuals. In short, it refused to give sanctity to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two Ambani brothers. This principle had to be established in the interest of corporate governance or it would have created havoc in the corporate world with promoters of public limited, quoted companies coming together and signing MoUs without a care for the shareholders and other stake holders in the company. Till today the shareholders have not okayed the MoU entered into between Mukesh and Anil Ambani when they divided between themselves the empire created by their father, Dhirubhai Ambani.The second important aspect of the judgment is that the natural resources of a country belong to the government and the government has the right to price it and prioritize the beneficiaries. While it is a well known fact, even internationally, that natural resources belong to the government, the government as a monopoly has the sacred responsibility to put the interest of the nation before everything else when deciding on its use and sale price. This is where the judgment has implications that go beyond the Ambani brothers. The petroleum minister has expressed his happiness that the apex court has upheld his contention that the gas in this case belongs to the government and RIL is only a contractor who can market the product. But it will be the government that will decide at what price it should market it, and to whom it should market it. This is a double-edged sword.
However, an enforced corporate governance provides a structure that, at least in theory, works for the benefit of everyone concerned by ensuring that the enterprise adheres to accepted ethical standards and best practices as well as to formal laws. To that end, organizations have been formed at the regional, national, and global levels.
In recent times, corporate governance has received increased attention because of high-profile scandals involving abuse of corporate power and, in some cases, alleged criminal activity by corporate officers. An integral part of an effective corporate governance regime includes provisions for civil or criminal prosecution of individuals who conduct unethical or illegal acts in the name of the enterprise.
Aims and Objectives
It is said that good corporate governance helps an organization achieve several objectives and some of the more important ones include:
• Developing appropriate strategies that result in the achievement of stakeholder objectives
• Attracting, motivating and retaining talent
• Creating a secure and prosperous operating environment and improving operational performance
• Managing and mitigating risk and protecting and enhancing the company’s reputation.
Some aspects covered in the poll include:
• Corporate governance regulations in India
• Corporate governance concerns in India and role of independent directors and audit committees in
addressing these concerns
• Board practices, board oversight of risk management and the importance given to integrity and ethical
values
• Practices that are fundamental to improved corporate governance.
In comparison with developed countries that impose stringent penal and criminal consequences for poor corporate governance, penalty levels in India are considered to be inadequate to enforce good governance. 71 percent of the respondents considered penalty levels to discipline poor and unethical governance to be low. 22 percent of the respondents were either undecided or did not know if the penalty levels are low.
Enforcing Clause 49
In recent years, more and more Indian companies have been raising capital overseas by getting themselves listed on international stock exchanges. These efforts have been accompanied by the Indian government's drive to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Both factors have gone hand in hand with the realization that if Indian companies want more access to global capital markets, they will need to make their operations and financial results more transparent. In other words, they will need to improve their standards of corporate governance.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which regulates India's stock markets, took a major step in this direction a year ago. It asked Indian firms above a certain size to implement Clause 49, a regulation that strengthens the role of independent directors serving on corporate boards. Have these steps made a difference to corporate governance in Indian firms?
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a concept through which organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact their activities have on customers, suppliers, employees, communities and the environment. This responsibility goes beyond compliance with regulations and is about organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees as well as for the local community and society at large.47 percent of the respondents believe that CSR is not high on the agenda of Indian companies. Thirty percent of the respondents were undecided on this aspect.
Integrity and Ethical Values
Indian companies have been focusing on code of conduct and whistle blower mechanism as a fundamental of good governance. Respondents were asked if similar importance was given to integrity and ethical values. Majority of the respondents say that although Indian companies give similar importance to integrity and ethical values, significant scope exists to enhance integrity and ethical values within the organization and the eco-system.
Effectiveness of Corporate Governance
Monitoring the effectiveness of corporate governance practices is also a key concept emerging in India. We asked respondents who should monitor the effectiveness of corporate governance practices. Forty-seven percent of the respondents believe that effectiveness of corporate governance should be monitored by way of corporate governance audits carried out by corporate governance specialists. Twenty-six percent of the respondents believe that it should be monitored by the boards themselves through self-assessment tools. Fifteen percent of the respondents believe that the monitoring should be by way of investors / minority shareholder groups having access to full information and another 12 percent believed that the monitoring should be through rating agencies.
Factors To Improve Corporate Governance
• 85 percent of the respondents think that the remuneration of Chief Executive
Officers (CEO) should be significantly linked to company performance
• Most respondents believe that while steps at introducing the code of conduct
and whistle blower policy have been introduced, there exists a significant need
to enhance integrity and ethical values in the larger eco-system
• 72 percent of the respondents believe it is necessary for an independent and
transparent process to evaluate performance of board members
• Two-thirds believe that exclusive sessions of independent directors are essential
• 47 percent feel that the effectiveness of corporate governance should be
monitored through audits by corporate governance specialists.
Government’s Initiatives
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has proposed the New Companies Bill 2008 which aims to improve corporate governance by vesting greater powers in shareholders. These have been balanced by greater emphasis on self-regulation, minimization of regulatory approvals and increased and more transparent disclosures. 53 percent of the respondents believe that the new Companies Act might have a limited or insignificant impact in addressing contemporary corporate governance issues in India. 28 percent of the respondents believe that its impact is likely to be positive. The remaining 19 percent were undecided.
In October 2011, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs said it was in favor of introducing a corporate governance index that would offer rankings to companies adopting governance standards. The index would offer rankings for corporate houses adopting governance standards.
The Ministry was keen to introduce a corporate governance policy to take forward the government's efforts towards better governance in companies. It had been worked out and the competition law would be revisited and amendments would be introduced soon.
Supreme Court’s Verdict
In May 2011, the Supreme Court has given a very fair judgment, with far-reaching implications both for the government and India Inc., in the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) vs RNRL gas pricing case. It has established unequivocally that the production sharing contract between the government and RIL overrides any private memorandum of understanding arrived at between two individuals. In short, it refused to give sanctity to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two Ambani brothers. This principle had to be established in the interest of corporate governance or it would have created havoc in the corporate world with promoters of public limited, quoted companies coming together and signing MoUs without a care for the shareholders and other stake holders in the company. Till today the shareholders have not okayed the MoU entered into between Mukesh and Anil Ambani when they divided between themselves the empire created by their father, Dhirubhai Ambani.The second important aspect of the judgment is that the natural resources of a country belong to the government and the government has the right to price it and prioritize the beneficiaries. While it is a well known fact, even internationally, that natural resources belong to the government, the government as a monopoly has the sacred responsibility to put the interest of the nation before everything else when deciding on its use and sale price. This is where the judgment has implications that go beyond the Ambani brothers. The petroleum minister has expressed his happiness that the apex court has upheld his contention that the gas in this case belongs to the government and RIL is only a contractor who can market the product. But it will be the government that will decide at what price it should market it, and to whom it should market it. This is a double-edged sword.
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