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Sustainability in the boardroom: An empirical examination of Dow Jones sustainability world index leaders

Author

Listed:
  • Ricart, Joan E.

    (IESE Business School)

  • Rodriguez, Miguel A.

    (IESE Business School)

  • Sanchez, Pablo

    (IESE Business School)

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a virtual explosion of interest in corporate governance. Corporate scandals and the need to protect minority shareholders' interests, for example, are some of the reasons behind the development of corporate governance codes in numerous countries and corporations. At the same time, the concepts of "sustainable development", "corporate responsibility", and "corporate citizenship" have taken root in the business world. Although an extensive body of research treats the fields of corporate governance and sustainable development separately, less attention has been paid to the interaction between both fields. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by examining how corporate governance systems are evolving in order to integrate sustainable development thinking into them. We do so by analyzing the governance systems of the 18 corporations that are leading the market sectors considered by the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSWI). We present the results of our in depth analysis of the 18 cases and propose the Sustainable Corporate Governance Model that emerges from that analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Ricart, Joan E. & Rodriguez, Miguel A. & Sanchez, Pablo, 2004. "Sustainability in the boardroom: An empirical examination of Dow Jones sustainability world index leaders," IESE Research Papers D/577, IESE Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0577
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    File URL: http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0577-E.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ionela-Carmen, PIRNEA & Raluca-Andreea, POPA, 2015. "Relationship Social Responsibility – Sustenability At The Enterprise Level," Management Strategies Journal, Constantin Brancoveanu University, vol. 28(2), pages 51-59.
    2. Azlan Amran & Shiau Ping Lee & S. Susela Devi, 2014. "The Influence of Governance Structure and Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Toward Sustainability Reporting Quality," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 217-235, May.

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    Keywords

    Corporate governance; sustainable corporate governance; sustainable enterprise; sustainable development; business in society;
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