Thomas Poulsen

My research explores how corporate governance shapes the relationship between firms, their owners, and employees. I study boards of directors, ownership structures, and employee participation to understand how governance decisions affect the way firms operate and develop over time. 

I am motivated by the ambition to show how good governance can strengthen both firms and workplaces. This includes understanding how employee participation – through representation or ownership – contributes to decision-making, resilience, and sustainable growth. 

I use a range of empirical approaches, often drawing on unique register data, to produce knowledge that is both academically rigorous and socially relevant. At the core of my work is the recognition that firms and societies are deeply intertwined: firms operate within societies and influence them, just as societies shape how firms are governed and what they do.