On the (Political) Origin of "Corporate Governance" Species

Massimiliano Vatiero

IdEP Economic Papers from USI Università della Svizzera italiana

Abstract: Although economies, business practices, and living standards have converged since WWII, corporate structures continue to differ among the advanced economies of the world. Looking at the diversity of corporate structures of large-sized firms around the world (and over time) would fascinate Charles Darwin. This work develops a critical review of the literature on political determinants of corporate governance through the Darwinian theory (including some Lamarckian aspects). As Darwin, in his work "On the Origin of Species", explicates the diversity of species of tortoises, finches, and iguanas of the Galapagos Islands, so Darwinism may contribute in understanding the origin and the persistence of corporate diversity. In particular, this article takes into account politics-driven variations, their inheritances, and the subsequent selection of advantageous "corporate" attributes.

Keywords: Corporate governance; Darwin; politics; path-dependency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G30 J50 K22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 22 pages
Date: 2016-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-hpe
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Journal Article: ON THE (POLITICAL) ORIGIN OF ‘CORPORATE GOVERNANCE’ SPECIES (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:lug:wpidep:1604

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