Shareholder democracies? : corporate governance in Britain and Ireland before 1850 / Mark Freeman, Robin Pearson, and James Taylor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Freeman, Mark, 1974-

Contributor:

Pearson, Robin, 1955-

Taylor, James, 1976-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Corporate governance--Great Britain--History--18th century.

Corporate governance.

Corporate governance--Great Britain--History--19th century.

Stock companies--Great Britain--History--18th century.

Stock companies.

Stock companies--Great Britain--History--19th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (355 p.)

Place of Publication:

Chicago ; London : University of Chicago Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Understanding the challenges of corporate governance is central to our comprehension of the economic dynamics driving corporations today. Among the most important institutions in capitalism today, corporations and joint-stock companies had their origins in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. And as they became more prevalent, the issue of internal governance became more pressing. At stake-and very much contested-was the allocation of rights and obligations among shareholders, directors, and managers. This comprehensive account of the development of corporate governance in Britain and Ireland during its earliest stages highlights the role of political factors in shaping the evolution of corporate governance as well as the important debates that arose about the division of authority and responsibility. Political and economic institutions confronted similar issues, including the need for transparency and accountability in decision making and the roles of electors and the elected, and this book emphasizes how political institutions-from election procedures to assemblies to annual reporting-therefore provided apt models upon which companies drew readily. Filling a gap in the literature on early corporate economy, this book provides insight into the origins of many ongoing modern debates.

Contents:

The joint-stock company and its environment, 1720-1850

Company formation

Constitutional rights and governance practice: the executive

Constitutional rights and governance practice: the proprietorship

The franchise and general meeting

Limited liability and company dissolution

Transparency and accountability.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9786613529930

9781280126079

1280126078

9780226261881

0226261883

OCLC:

779173743