An Evolutionary Nexus Between Private & Charitable Corporate Governance. Can charities provide thought leadership to a private sector that is questioning the norm of shareholder primacy?

Abstract

The ongoing debate over the merits of shareholder primacy versus a stakeholder based approach to corporate governance continues to foster active discussion and engagement across the legal and wider community in the UK and globally. Rather than dive into the depths of this debate, particularly given greater minds have indeed explored it in much detail, the purpose of this short note is to encourage an additional source of inspiration for stakeholder theory proponents. Namely, the charity sector. For centuries, charitable organisations have operated with an object and purpose beyond maximisation of value to founders. This deep history in strategic steerage somewhat agnostic to financial and ownership orientation means there is a unique opportunity for charitable organisations to cross pollinate the private sector and lead new ways of thinking around stakeholder inclusive corporate governance practises.