”As part of Abenomics’ third arrow of structural reform, Japan recently adopted a new corporate governance code. The new code focuses on making Japanese corporations more transparent, more responsive to shareholders — including minority shareholders — and subject to more effective oversight by boards of directors, especially outside directors. It seeks to make boards of directors not only more active and independent, but more diverse. In most respects the code moves Japan toward Western, especially US corporate governance practices. In assessing its likely impact, it’s useful to look at what we think we know about US experience with corporate governance practices.
One single factor stands out clearly. Corporate cultures completely dominate corporate behaviour in the United States. Formal governance rules have an effect that is an order of magnitude smaller. This shows up most obviously in differences in performance across US corporate managements.
Corporate cultures completely dominate corporate behaviour in the United States. Formal governance rules have an effect that is an order of magnitude smaller.
Despite the widespread adoption of ‘shareholder friendly’ governance principles, many US managements perform poorly. They fail to manage costs efficiently and seek to grow in areas where they enjoy no competitive advantages (or worse, suffer from significant disadvantages) with disastrous consequences for returns on investment. They have self-indulgent capital structures (low debt and lots of cash accumulated at the expense of shareholder distributions) and pay limited attention to effective succession planning. And they hire and fire workers promiscuously in response to short term fluctuations in market conditions (a costly practice for workers and shareholders) and pay themselves generously without regard to their performance……..”
Source: Forum of the Australia and Japan Region
– https://crawford.anu.edu.au/distribution/newsletter/ajrc/ajrc20.html
The Board Director Training Institute (BDTI) is a "public interest" nonprofit in Japan dedicated to training about directorship, corporate governance, and related management techniques. It is certified by the Japanese government to conduct these activities as a regulated nonprofit. Read a summary about BDTI here, and see a menu of its services for both corporations and investors here.