Creation of Nordic Corporate Governance Network

Nordic corporate governance model assessed

Researchers from Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden - are now launching a network to study corporate governance in Nordic companies. Nordic companies have special corporate governance characteristics, including concentrated ownership, two-tier boards, employee representation, low to moderate incentive pay for managers and financial transparency. The network will assess strengths and weaknesses of the corporate governance model in the Nordic countries.

Different corporate governance models

For instance, most companies in Finland do not have employee representation, and Norway has a 60/40 gender ratio for board members in listed companies. Swedish companies have dual class shares, which might lead to overinvestment.

- In Denmark as well as Sweden, foundations play a strong role as owners of companies, for example A. P. Møller-Mærsk, Novo and Wallenberg, which appear to be doing quite well. Understanding this unique corporate governance model is very interesting to the outside world, says Professor Steen Thomsen, CBS Department of International Economics and Management, who is the Executive Director of Nordic Corporate Governance Network (NCGN).

Open network

The network consists of leading corporate governance scholars from the Nordic countries and is open for researchers and others with an interest in corporate governance. To register interest in the network, please send an email to Center for Corporate Governance: ccg.int@cbs.dk.

For more information, please contact Professor Steen Thomsen, tel.: 3815 2590, Communications Officer Yvonne Christiansen, tel.: 5141 4198.