Corporate Governance

Abstract

After a long hiatus, the study of corporate governance has recently enjoyed a revival, but few points of consensus have emerged. Political differences are sometimes responsible for this impasse,' but failure to address the economics of corporate governance in microanalytic terms is also a factor. Lacking a framework that permits detailed analysis of transactions among the various constituencies of the corporation-labor, owners, suppliers, customers, the community and management-commentators have presented their arguments at such a high level of generality that an assessment of the merits of the alternative positions is very difficult. This Article is meant to address that shortcoming. The focus throughout is on publicly held corporations in the manufacturing sector.