Entrepreneurial Firms and Governance

How to run a company well - Governance for Start-up Companies. Learn about governance and corporate governance frameworks and how these relate to SMEs, start-ups, and larger businesses.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to theories of corporate governance. The course will cover the topics on corporate board, ownership structure, IPOs, institutional investor, regulatory reforms, stakeholder involvement and corporate social responsibility. Some of the theory included are: Agency theory; Transaction costs economics; Stakeholder theory; Stewardship theory; Institutional theory; Political theory as well as Network governance and case studies/ examples real life corporate stories.

The course will include lectures combining theory, cases and live examples including a project, for students to analyze, discuss and present on during seminar sessions and workshops.
Students will be expected to be active participants in exploring real instances of effect of governance issues such as board structures, Executive and corporate board power, external influences on internal governance, on actual entrepreneurial firms of all sizes but with particular attention to smaller and family enterprises.

Students will be encouraged to make use of provided articles, case studies but also to explore themes and topics by accessing news sites, databases and public informational depositories in a guided but self-proactive environment.

• Analyze the main elements of good corporate governance
• Understand corporate governance frameworks
• Evaluate the value and impact of company boards
• Critically appraise corporate governance challenges

Teaching methods
The course will include lectures combining theory, cases and live examples including a project, for students to analyze, discuss and present on during seminar sessions and workshops. Students will be expected to be active participants in exploring real instancees of effect of governance issues on actual entrepreneurial firms of all sizes but with particular attention to smaller and family enterprises.
Students will be encouraged to make use of provided articles, case studies but also to explore themes and topics by accessing news sites, databases and public informational depositories in a guided but self-proactive environment.

Teaching materials
Students will be encouraged to make use of provided articles, case studies but also to explore themes and topics by accessing news sites, databases and public informational depositories in a guided but self-proactive environment.

Method of examination
The assessment will be based on two components:

• An individual essay that will critically analyze and explore issues with one of several cases that the students can pre-select. (60%)
• The second will be a group presentation of key learnings of one the issues discussed in the course.

Students will have an opportunity to re-sit the written component based on the feedback given on their first attempt.

Composition final grade

Group presentation 40% (video)
Prepare a short group video, Maximum 5 minutes and discuss one of the topics TBD.
Students will receive written feedback after their group presentation.

Individual essay 60% (written)
Note: Written feedback will be given on the essay. This will include comments on individual sections on the essay itself and a comprehensive summary on the overall piece of work with the grades.
Students will have an opportunity to do an improvement paper (brief given separately) and/or re-sit the written component based on the feedback given on their first attempt.