INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE GOVERNANCE - 2020/1

Module Overview

Corporate Governance is an area that has grown rapidly in the last few years fuelled by high profile corporate collapses and financial crisis. The module builds on sound theoretical base to encompass the latest developments in the field worldwide.  It takes an international approach to corporate governance, contextualising its development and providing a stimulating range of academic and empirical practitioner research, and topical case studies.  It also introduces institutional and legal systems from both government and firm’s viewpoints that influence the effectiveness of corporate governance.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

ZHANG Hanxiong (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

• Corporate Governance Theories


• Corporate control across the world


• Control versus ownership rights


• Macro Corporate Governance


• Taxonomies of Corporate Governance Systems


• Boards of Directors


• Incentivizing and disciplining Managers


• Contractual Corporate Governance


• Corporate Governance and Stakeholders


• Corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

If reassessment is required the group coursework including the presentation will bereplaced by an individual assignment (2000 words)

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to obtain advanced knowledge and a balance between theoretical understanding and application of theories to business practices. This can be achieved by reading through textbooks and other academic journals, and by improving their collaboration and communication skills.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework of 4,000-6,000 words and Group Presentation (50% of the total mark), which gives the opportunity to students: 1) to learn how to search the electronic library in order to find academic articles which are necessary to write the assignment, 2) to improve their communication skills, as they have to present their work in front of other students, 3) to improve their team-working skills, as this is the product of a collaborative effort and 4) to learn how to conduct efficient time-management, as they need to manage their time as a team in order to have the work ready by the assignment’s deadlines.

• Exam, which accounts for the 50% of the total mark and is based on a combination of discussion-type, multiple-choice and fill-in-blank questions aiming at the conceptual and critical understanding of corporate governance theories and practice.

Module aims

• This module aims to discuss financial economics theories which constitute theoretical foundation of corporate governance.  The theoretical study is supported by empirical evidence worldwide in which corporate governance develops by examining institutional structure and capital market for various countries at macro level and the firms' structure which influence the effectiveness of corporate governance at micro level.  The module is designed as a substantial course in finance and accounting at Master’s level appropriate to degrees in Accounting and Finance, generic Business and Management Studies and MBA.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to allow students to come to grips with the essential quantitative nature of the subject, and more importantly, to facilitate the application to practical problems.

The teaching and learning methods include:

• Formal lectures


• Presentations to reinforce and test learning


• Use of SurreyLearn to facilitate teaching, enhance the learning outcomes and direct students to the relevant reading in the set textbooks and in journal articles.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM202

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.