The cognitive dimension of corporate governance in fast growing entrepreneurial firms

Peter Wirtz

European Management Journal, 2011, vol. 29, issue 6, 431-447

Abstract: This article explores the specific morphology and functioning of the governance system of fast growing entrepreneurial firms. Corporate governance is conceptualized as a complex system composed of different mechanisms and various actors, reaching beyond the corporate board and its members. To explain the link between the governance system at large and growth, I build on a general model of corporate governance first proposed by Charreaux (2008), where governance potentially influences managerial behavior through two levers: financial discipline and cognition. I argue that, in the specific case of entrepreneurial firms, corporate governance may play a central role in sustaining high levels of growth through the extensive use of the cognitive lever. Beyond its theoretical implications, the model is also instrumental in providing a consistent framework for an exploration of existing empirical research. I review research specifically devoted to the governance of entrepreneurial firms which experience strong growth and find support for the rationale underlying the proposed model.

Keywords: Corporate governance; High growth; Cognition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eurman:v:29:y:2011:i:6:p:431-447

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DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2011.06.004

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