Abstract

GOMEZ-BETANCOURT, Gonzalo  and  ZAPATA-CUERVO, Natalia. Corporate Governance: A comparison of governance codes in the world, a model for latin american family and non-family firms. Entramado [online]. 2013, vol.9, n.2, pp.98-117. ISSN 1900-3803.

With the aim to propose a model of corporate governance for Latin American Family and Non-Family Businesses, researchers studied and analyzed codes from fourteen countries and found that just two refer to family business: Brazil and Colombia; majority of corporate governance codes are addressed to companies listed on the stock exchange market, leaving aside small, medium, big and family businesses, companies that make a huge contribution to the country's economy. Researchers also found a big difference between corporate governance codes according to the business structure of the country, i) there are countries where owners delegate the majority of their responsibilities to the board, as USA, Australia and United Kingdom; ii) countries where owners get strongly involved in the corporate governance as Japan and Mexico; and iii) countries that have a medium level of delegation, dived in: a)countries that do not delegate the owners responsibilities of audit and nomination of board members as Norway and Germany; and b) countries where the audit and/or board members nomination are delegated to the board. Researchers make an academic proposal for family and non-family businesses in order to find the equilibrium of powers based on the culture, tradition and Latin American civil law, where owners have non-delegable responsibilities as the audit and board members nomination.

Keywords : Corporate governances; family business; codes of corporate governance; shareholders' meeting; board of directors; nomination committee; remuneration committee; audit committee; board's committees; board of directors members.

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