Corporate and Public Governance

There is a consensus across many business sectors that there has been a failure in responsible leadership and corporate governance. FBL is interested in supporting business and society in examining and addressing these difficult issues. This includes examining the fundamental issues of responsibility in practice, including responsibility as individuals and in a corporate capacity (centred on critical thinking and its connections to accountability). Researchers in this theme come from inside and outside the business faculty bringing together interconnected research on:

• The nature and practice of responsibility in business and the professions, including governance and leadership.
• Responsibility as a capacity and focused in culture.
• Responsibility and learning- in higher education and professional development.

We also have a track record of publishing research on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and media coverage. This relates to the competing realities of corporate irresponsibility and corporate social responsibility and has helped to further understanding of such concepts from academic, business practitioner and stakeholders’ perspectives. Additionally, research conducted in FBL has investigated the relationship between CSR and the financial performance of corporations in developed economies.

The University has recently established the Centre for Governance, Leadership and Global Responsibility, led by Professor Simon Robinson, which focuses on the research, education and consultancy in the area of corporate and public governance.

• Corporate Governance and the Global Financial Crisis, in collaboration with experts from multiple prestigious universities in several countries, 2009-2011, led by William Sun
• Reframing Corporate Social Responsibility: Lessons Learned from the Financial Crisis, an international research project, 2009-2011, led by William Sun
• Finance and Sustainability 2010 & 2012+, a large international partnership research programme, 2009-2014, co-led by William Sun
• Business ethics in practice, 2011, led by Simon Robinson
• Leadership responsibility, 2012, led by Simon Robinson
• Virtue ethics, CSR and philosophy of responsibility, 2013-14, led by Simon Robinson
• Corporate social responsibility, irresponsibility and communication, 2011-14, an international research project led by Ralph Tench, William Sun and Brian Jones
• CSR and legitimacy theory in developing countries, 2010-present, led by Martin Samy and Robert Bampton

• Professor Simon Robinson
• Professor Ralph Tench
• Dr William Sun
• Dr Simon Gardiner
• Dr Jamie Morgan
• Dr Brian Jones
• Dr Roberta Bampton
• Dr Martin Samy