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Best-practice pension fund governance

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  • Gordon L Clark

    (Oxford University Centre for the Environment)

  • Roger Urwin

Abstract

Good governance by institutional asset owners makes a significant incremental difference to value creation as measured by their long-term risk-adjusted rate of return. Drawing upon best-practice case studies, it is argued that the principles of good governance can be summarised by organisational coherence, including an institution's clarity of mission and its capacities; people, including who is involved in the investment process, their skills and responsibilities; and process, including how investment decision-making is managed and implemented. Using the case studies to develop the principles and practice of good governance, there are a number of lessons to be learnt from our exemplars whatever the nature, scope and location of the institution — summarised through a set of 12 findings about global best-practice with implications for large and small institutions. Implications are also drawn for the design and management of sovereign funds, which are increasingly important for national welfare in global financial markets. In conclusion, we see the challenge of governance as having two facets: to facilitate adaptation to the functional imperatives of operating in global markets given the heritage of an institution and, over the long-term, to undertake reforms such that institutional form and structure are consistent with the principles developed herein.

Suggested Citation

  • Gordon L Clark & Roger Urwin, 2008. "Best-practice pension fund governance," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 2-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:assmgt:v:9:y:2008:i:1:d:10.1057_jam.2008.1
    DOI: 10.1057/jam.2008.1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clark, Gordon L. & Munnell, Alicia H. & Orszag, J. Michael (ed.), 2006. "The Oxford Handbook of Pensions and Retirement Income," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199272464.
    2. Urwin, R.C. & Breban, S.J. & Hodgson, T.M. & Hunt, A., 2001. "Risk Budgeting in Pension Investment," British Actuarial Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 319-347, August.
    3. Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky, 2013. "Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 6, pages 99-127, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Meric S. Gertler, 2001. "Best practice? Geography, learning and the institutional limits to strong convergence," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 5-26, January.
    5. Josh Lerner & Antoinette Schoar & Wan Wongsunwai, 2007. "Smart Institutions, Foolish Choices: The Limited Partner Performance Puzzle," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(2), pages 731-764, April.
    6. Clark, Gordon L., 2003. "European Pensions & Global Finance," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199253647.
    7. Robert C. Merton & Zvi Bodie, 2005. "Design Of Financial Systems: Towards A Synthesis Of Function And Structure," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: H Gifford Fong (ed.), The World Of Risk Management, chapter 1, pages 1-27, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Clark, Gordon L. & Caerlewy-Smith, Emiko & Marshall, John C., 2006. "Pension fund trustee competence: decision making in problems relevant to investment practice," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 91-110, March.
    9. Clark, Gordon L. & Caerlewy-Smith, Emiko & Marshall, John C., 2007. "The consistency of UK pension fund trustee decision-making," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(1), pages 67-86, March.
    10. Clark, Gordon L., 2004. "Pension fund governance: expertise and organizational form," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 233-253, July.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Hachigian Heather, 2015. "Ambiguity, discretion and ethics in Norway’s sovereign wealth fund," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(4), pages 603-631, December.
    3. Ashby H. B. Monk, 2008. "Is CalPERS a Sovereign Wealth Fund?," Issues in Brief ib2008-8-21, Center for Retirement Research, revised Dec 2008.
    4. Amar, J. & Lecourt, C., 2023. "Sovereign wealth fund governance: A trade-off between internal and external legitimacy," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(6).
    5. Ashby H. B. Monk, 2009. "Pension Buyouts: What Can We Learn From The UK Experience?," Working Papers, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College wp2009-19, Center for Retirement Research, revised Sep 2009.
    6. Siepel, Josh & Nightingale, Paul, 2014. "Anglo-Saxon governance: Similarities, difference and outcomes in a financialised world," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 27-35.
    7. Maria Teresa Medeiros Garcia, 2014. "Management of Pension Funds: the Case of Portugal," International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk Management, vol. 4(4), pages 792-792.
    8. Bruno Bonizzi & Annina Kaltenbrunner, 2019. "Liability-driven investment and pension fund exposure to emerging markets: A Minskyan analysis," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(2), pages 420-439, March.

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