CALL FOR PROPOSALS – 4TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Navigating corporate governance in emerging markets
October 13rd & 14th, 2018
School of Management, Fudan University
Shanghai, China
The International Corporate Governance Society will have its 4th annual conference in Shanghai, China. The theme of this conference focuses on corporate governance in emerging markets. Institutional development and economic liberalization of emerging markets create great business opportunities for firms both domestic and foreign. Yet corporate governance in emerging markets faces some unique challenges. For example, firm ownership in emerging markets is typically highly concentrated, especially in state- and family-owned firms. How to protect minority investors’ interests from majority owners’ exploitation represents a serious challenge.
While the conference theme focuses on emerging markets, non-thematic submissions are also welcome. Due to our inter-disciplinary nature, we think of corporate governance in broad terms, which includes corporate social responsibility and ethical business practices. Shanghai is a great place for scholars to meet and share their insights on corporate governance in emerging markets. The Shanghai and Yangzi Delta area is one of the most viable economic hubs in China, as it has both large state-owned firms and MNC subsidiaries, and it has stimulated domestic entrepreneurship in recent years. Shanghai Stock Exchange, one of China’s two stock exchanges (the other is Shenzhen Stock Exchange) was opened in 1990, and to date it has become one of the largest stock exchanges (in terms of market capitalization) in the world. Having a conference in Shanghai offers scholars a great opportunity to observe and experience corporate governance in the context of an emerging market and expand your network with Asian scholars.
We invite you to submit a research proposal to the conference (https://www.conftool.net/icgs
(1) Abstract: 200 to 300 word description that summarizes the overall study;
(2) Proposal: Narrative description of your conceptual or empirical study;
(3) Supporting material: Tables, figures, and references that support the proposal. Overall, the proposal should not exceed 10 single-spaced pages in length or 3,000 words.
Proposals can be submitted starting on February 1 and must be submitted by 12 midnight (EST) on April 1, 2018 in order to be considered for presentation. All proposals must be submitted through our online conference management system, which is accessed through the ‘Conferences’ tab of the ICGS website (www.icgsociety.org).
Decisions on submissions regarding their inclusion in the conference program will be provided by May 15, 2018. The very best proposals will be invited to submit a full-length research paper of approximately 30-40 double-spaced pages by July 31, 2018 in order to be considered for the best conference paper award. The author(s) who win(s) this award will be recognized at the conference and receive a $1,500 check provided by the Harold S. Geneen Institute of Corporate Governance.
CONFERENCE TRACKS. On the title page of each proposal, the author(s) should indicate
which of the following five conference tracks the proposal best fits:
TRACK A: Institutional development and corporate governance. Corporate governance of firms in a country reflects the country’s institutional frameworks. Meanwhile, corporate
governance may also affect the development of external institutional frameworks. Institutional framework and corporate governance are both evolving in emerging markets. In this track, we explore the relationship between these two.
TRACK B: Roles of boards of directors. A board of directors is an important internal corporate governance mechanism. In this track, we will explore the roles of boards of directors,
especially independent directors. Studies that examine whether and how boards’ roles are different (or similar) between emerging markets and developed countries are particularly
welcome.
TRACK C: Corporate governance in family-owned Firms. Family-owned firms are abundant and need greater research attention. In this track, we will discuss the unique aspects of corporate governance in family-owned firms and explore how to balance family-owners’ interests and other investors’ interests. We will also explore how family-owned firms manage leadership succession. Other ownership arrangements can also be considered in this track.
TRACK D: Trend, determinants and consequences of executive compensation. Executive compensation has been increasing dramatically in the past decades, which can create significant pay disparity between executives and other employees as well as large wealth gap between corporate executives and the general public. In this track, we will discuss how executive compensation packages are decided and possible impacts of (high) executive compensation.
TRACK E: Corporate fraud and irregularities. Weak institutional frameworks in emerging markets create opportunities for corporate fraud and irregularities. However, corporate fraud and irregularities also occur frequently in countries with well-developed institutions. In this track, we will explore the antecedents and consequences of corporate misbehavior, as well as corporate self governance.