This paper is an attempt to identify what constitutes a good board of directors, and this is based on a comparison between academic literature, corporate governance rating systems and our field research into board practices. We observed that "traditional" academic research focused on a limited number of quantifiable board characteristics, while practitioners attach greater importance to "soft" elements, which are nearly absent in the literature and in the governance ratings. These findings highlight the need for a better understanding of all elements that determine board effectiveness. Furthermore, our results identify three areas of improvement for boards of directors. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2004.

No abstract

The monitoring and stewardship role of the owner is an important corporate governance issue that deserves far more attention. Our analysis focuses on the role of the venture capitalist (VC) as monitor of high-tech venture-backed companies. We provide evidence from the literature as well as a qualitative descriptive view of the experiences of Belgian VCs. The position of the VC sheds more light on the plenitude of roles an active owner can play. Furthermore, our findings highlight the need for a better understanding of the governance structure and processes of high-tech companies. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2002.

No abstract

No abstract