Praise for the First Edition of Corporate Governance Matters
“No board of directors ought to be without Larcker and Tayan’s Corporate Governance Matters. In today’s increasingly regulated environment, this comprehensive book is not only an important reference manual, but also an interesting read and a valuable roadmap.”
—Joel Peterson, Chairman, JetBlue Airways, and former Lead Director, Franklin Covey
“An outstanding work of unique breadth and depth providing practical advice supported by detailed research. This should be required reading for all board members and everyone who serves as an advisor to boards.”
—Alan Crain, Jr., Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Baker Hughes Incorporated
“Corporate Governance Matters is by far and away the most useful, fact-based book on corporate governance available. It is essential reading for all current and prospective board members, anyone interested in how boards work, and for students of corporate governance. Its chapters on executive and equity pay, in particular, shine a bright light on a topic too often discussed without substance and context.”
—Mark H. Edwards, Chairman and CEO, Compensia
“The complexity of corporate governance often lies in its propensity to become highly subjective. David and Brian’s objective and unbiased approach to this important subject is very refreshing. This book reflects the meticulous and thorough manner in which the authors have approached corporate governance systems. They have an eye for detail and present every statement and observation with a firm factual foundation. Extensively researched, with highly relevant insights, this book serves as an ideal and practical reference for corporate executives and students of business administration.”
—Narayana N.R. Murthy, Infosys Technologies Limited
“Corporate Governance Matters should be on the reading list for any public or private company director. The authors present comprehensive coverage of current topics using both research and real-world examples to drive home the issues and uncover the best practices. I found their survey of foreign practices and cultural differences to be particularly fascinating and helpful as I work with one of my companies on an offshore partnership. Fascinating, engaging, and full of useful information—a must-read!”
—Heidi Roizen, Founder, CEO and Chief Lyrical Officer, Skinny Songs
“A tour de force. David Larcker and Brian Tayan have written an easy-to-read, crucial-to-know overview of corporate governance today. Powerfully blending real-world cases with the newest scientific research, Corporate Governance Matters identifies fundamental governance concerns that every board and shareholder needs to know about. The book also provides a valuable, real-world discussion of succession planning and the labor market for executives. If you really want to know about corporate governance (as opposed to following media pundits and governance rating firms), you must read this book!”
—Stephen A. Miles, Founder and CEO, The Miles Group
“Larcker and Tayan have written a first-rate book on corporate governance. Their analysis is unique in its logic, balance, and insistence on rigorous empirical evidence. This book should be required reading for directors, shareholders, and legislators.”
—Steven N. Kaplan, Neubauer Family Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
“David Larcker has long been recognized by practitioners and researchers alike for his exceptional empirical analysis of key factors in corporate governance. With this new book, Larcker builds on what he has taught us through his research over the years and masterfully weaves together the range of key issues that investors, managements, and boards must grapple with in order to achieve the corporate governance balance required for optimal outcomes today.
In plain language and with examples that bring to life the key points that every investor or board member should care about and that every student of corporate governance would want to understand, Larcker and Tayan walk us step by step through the most important factors in building and protecting long-term sustainable value in public companies. Recognizing, as good research has shown over the years, that one size does not fit all, this book provides thought-provoking questions and offers insights based on experience and history to help guide readers to their own conclusions about how to apply its lessons to the specific situations they may face in their own companies. Corporate Governance Matters is sure to become required reading for director education and an essential desk reference for all corporate governance practitioners.”
—Abe M. Friedman, Managing Partner, CamberView Partners
“Through a careful and comprehensive examination of organizational considerations, choices, and consequences, David Larcker and Brian Tayan have produced a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the functions of corporate governance, or whose goal is to enhance their organization’s governance system.”
—Cindy Fornelli, Executive Director, Center for Audit Quality
“David Larcker and Brian Tayan are the premier students and among the most thoughtful authorities on corporate governance. They have written extensively on the subject with keen insight into the problems and possible solutions, and this book is the culmination of those efforts. It should be read by anyone interested in how corporations can be better governed.”
—Arthur Rock, Principal of Arthur Rock & Co., former Chairman Intel and former Board Member Apple
“Corporate Governance Matters is a comprehensive, objective, and insightful analysis of academic and professional research on corporate governance. In contrast to legal treatments, these authors take an organizational perspective and present a fact-based, business-oriented, and long overdue reconsideration of how certain corporate governance features actually function.”
—Professor Katherine Schipper, Thomas Keller Professor of Business Administration, Duke University, and former member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board
“They did it! Larcker and Tayan have cracked the code on the connections between corporate governance and corporate performance. Debunking lots of myths along the way, they give practical advice on what works and what doesn’t. Their chapters on board composition and executive pay capture the challenge to directors to manage corporations in the best interests of shareholders. This is a must-read for anyone who is interested in improving the performance of corporations.”
—Ira Kay, Managing Partner, Pay Governance
“When it comes to corporate governance, it seems that everyone has an opinion. David Larcker and Brian Tayan, however, have the facts. This refreshing, hard-headed review describes what we do and don’t know about corporate governance.
It lays bare assumptions about governance that simply aren’t correct and is destined to become a central reference for anyone interested in how corporate America governs itself.”
—Professor Joseph A. Grundfest, The William A. Franke Professor of Law and Business, Senior Faculty, Rock Center on Corporate Governance, Stanford Law School