Thought Leadership
Keep Your Finger on the Pulse of Governance in Canada and Abroad
The Institute regularly produces reports, white papers, and resources on governance related topics for its members.
Canadian Thought Leadership
Enhancing Individual Director Accountability
28 April 2020
Arguably more important than structural or process matters are relationship and behavioural dynamics in the boardroom. While hard data on board culture and behaviour is elusive it is not a stretch to suggest that without highly functional boardroom relationships – among board members and with management – boards cannot hope to govern well by relying solely on the other two legs of the governance stool: behaviours and culture.
The challenges that boards and management often encounter when sharing power, loosening their grip on control and navigating real or perceived conflict can undermine their ability to govern well. The essential need for trust and confidence in each other can be compromised and, unfortunately, tolerated.
Individual director accountability is the next frontier of where good governance needs to focus its time and attention. This article offers some constructive perspectives on addressing this appropriately within the context of the boardroom.
A Focus on Governance Outcomes: Assessing Board Performance
01 March 2017
In the early days of what has become an ongoing focus on good governance and board effectiveness, board evaluations were largely limited to compliance matters. Today, assessments are about making good boards better by using greater rigour to identify opportunities to improve the board’s value and contribution.
International Thought Leadership
On-demand webinar discussion | Do we really need to meet? Learning from a Pandemic
03 June 2020
This webinar draws on the experience of leading governance professionals across the world to explain how different countries and different organisations have addressed the problem of holding public meetings, especially general meetings, during the current pandemic.
Looking further ahead, they also discussed how the evolution of technology, laws and regulations, as well as shareholders’ and stakeholders’ attitudes, can and will enable companies and other entities to move away from the traditional concept of the set-piece physical general meeting towards hybrid or virtual meetings.
An overview of integrated reporting for Chartered Secretaries and Chartered Governance Professionals
12 March 2020
The benefits to an organisation that embarks on the journey to prepare an integrated report cannot be overstated. In the beginning, it can be a long journey as it requires a holistic approach, bringing together contributions from all aspects of an organisation to provide a clear understanding of its overall strategy, governance, performance and prospects.
For those preparing the integrated report, judgment is essential. Every organisation is different and employs the capitals in different ways. There needs to be an understanding of what is material to value creation, and what is not; how to disclose the necessary information, and to what extent. Preparation will reveal much and will no doubt uncover metrics and key performance indicators that had not been as clear in the past. It is all part of the journey.
Chartered Secretaries and Chartered Governance Professionals have much to offer in establishing integrated reporting and integrated thinking into the governance framework of an organisation. Transparency goes to the heart of good governance, and as governance professionals, we have the skills and experience to advise organisations on reporting frameworks that best meet the needs of both preparers and users. There is an opportunity here that will benefit the organisation, its stakeholders and the profession.