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Corporate Governance and Labor Relations

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  • E. Han Kim

Abstract

This article begins with the premise that since the corporation involves a symbiotic relationship between labor and capital, a single‐minded focus on shareholder value is likely to be shortsighted, and some degree of employee influence on corporate governance has the potential to increase an organization's efficiency and value. But the set of findings and implications that emerge from the author's analysis is a complicated one. On the one hand, “moderate” levels of employee ownership (for example, the 6% ownership of the average American ESOP) are associated with increases in corporate productivity and values as well as worker morale and productivity. On the other hand, majority employee ownership and corporate ownership and governance systems like “co‐determination” that give labor a major say on governance issues often lead to worker‐management alliances that end up hurting the firm's investors—and, in the longer run, the workers themselves— by reducing competitiveness. The author ends with a call for a balanced governance system that, while aiming to maximize the total value of the enterprise, seeks to encourage the participation and emotional allegiance of workers—and indeed all important corporate stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • E. Han Kim, 2009. "Corporate Governance and Labor Relations," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 21(1), pages 57-66, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jacrfn:v:21:y:2009:i:1:p:57-66
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6622.2009.00216.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Kim, Jeong-Bon & Zhang, Eliza Xia & Zhong, Kai, 2021. "Does unionization affect the manager–shareholder conflict? Evidence from firm-specific stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    2. Chaohai Shen & Bingquan Fang & Xiaolan Zhou, 2022. "The Relationship between Corporate Sustainable Development Performance, Investor Sentiment, and Managerial Overconfidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Liang, H. & Renneboog, Luc & Vansteenkiste, Cara, 2017. "Corporate Employee-Engagement and Merger Outcomes," Other publications TiSEM ab3f7a1d-a202-48b7-9c75-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Tang, Qi, 2023. "Labor cost and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).

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