Purpose-The purpose of this conceptual paper is to develop a discussion expounding the Islamic perspective of corporate governance as a special case of a broader decision-making theory that uses the premise of Islamic socio-scientific epistemology. Islamic epistemology is premised on the divine oneness of God. The worldly explanation of divine unity is done by means of specific laws and instruments that make the Islamic epistemology functionally viable in developing, implementing and inferring from the application of the epistemological rules to different issues. In the present case the issue is of corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach-The development and conclusions of this discursive paper as a conceptual one point out the possible application of a process-oriented epistemology of unity of knowledge to corporate governance. The underlying methodology of institutional discourse and integration with dynamic parameters is formalized. Findings-The end results of the conceptual framework of this paper on corporate governance are contrasted with the approach to corporate governance in mainstream literature. Also the same Islamic theoretical and philosophical background of corporate governance is examined from the dual (mixed) Islamic economic and institutional perspective. Practical implications-The practical implications of the Islamic idea of corporate governance are immense in studying transaction cost minimization in decision-making environments. In this regard it is argued that the theory of Islamic corporate governance presents a discursive process, transparency and institutional participation that reduce transaction costs. Originality/value-The paper contributes fresh knowledge in corporate governance theory in the light of two central issues. First, an organic preference formation is studied by a process model. Second, transaction cost is minimized while pursuing a discursive and participatory model of decision making in an environment governed by the systemic meaning of unity of knowledge as its episteme. Relevant institutional policies can be developed in the light of such systemic discursion under the episteme of unity of knowledge understood and applied in the systemic organic sense.

This article examines how the frequency of board committee meetings impacts on Australian firms' financial performance. Data were collected from 118 Australian listed companies – including 26 financial firms and 92 nonfinancial firms – for the period 1999–2007. Analysis of that data shows that the frequencies of audit committee meetings and remuneration committee meetings are positively and significantly associated with return on equity and return on assets. The frequencies of risk committee meetings do not show any significant effects on the financial performance of Australian firms. Estimated results are found to be robust after controlling for internal as well as external governance mechanisms that might affect Australian firm performance.

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The theme of micro-foundation of economic theory has not been adequately addressed. This is true even of those who pioneered the area of micro-foundation of macro-economics. The great missing link in economic theory, both of micro-economics and macro-economics, is the inability to methodologically integrate ethical and moral values through preference mapping. This missing methodology disables the study of institutions, policy formulation and normative statements of structural transformation. On the other hand, such issues are once again haunting the human race in the murky and troubled global relations today -from capitalism to war to governance. This paper addresses the preference mapping and embedding of ethical and moral issues as endogenous dynamics in economic theory. The approach is rigorous and methodological.