ACCA research commissioned in association with academics from the University of Nottingham, Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Plymouth.

In an increasingly complex world, what is the role expected of leaders in managing risk? How can they maximise the opportunities as well as protect their organisation?

Company boards are closely connected to effective risk management. Risk assessment, reporting and control help to enhance a board’s governance and control policies, keeping organisations aligned with their objectives.

ACCA’s research highlights the key challenges boards face when performing their roles, but also shines a light on current good practices across both smaller and larger organisations.

King Commission on Corporate Governance South Africa, November 2016

Since 1994, the King Reports on Corporate Governance continue to influence global corporate governance. King IV cites ethical leadership, the organization in society, corporate citizenship, sustainable development, stakeholder inclusivity, integrated thinking, and integrated reporting as its foundation. Placing much stronger emphasis on the company’s place in society, King IV marks a shift “from financial capitalism to inclusive capitalism”, with a focus on long-term sustainability. Please find the King IV Report here

A Call to Action for Sustainable Business

The UN Global Compact is a call to action for businesses, companies, boards and stakeholders to incorporate UN´s sustainable development goals into the corporate world. The Global Compact´s mission is to “mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies to create the world we want”. 

By providing companies with “a platform anchored in universal principles and values”, the UN invites the businesses to take their share of the responsibility for meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

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UK Financial Reporting Council, July 2016

In the foreword to Corporate Culture and the Role of Boards, published by the UK’s Financial Reporting Council in July, the FRC’s chairman, Sir Winifred Bischoff, points to “the increasing role corporate culture plays in delivering long-term business and economic success”, by protecting and generating value.

Boards, holds the FRC, need to understand that business strategy must reflect company values and culture, and that they as boards are responsible for both.

The Promises and Limitations of the New Financial Economy by Iris Chiu and Roger M. Baker

“Policymakers believe that investment institutions can be persuaded to take a greater role in corporate governance. But do they really possess the willingness and capacity to embrace their stewardship role?”

The article was published in Board Agenda, Jan-March 2018, pp. 52-53, and a PDF version of the article can be accessed here.

EY Beacon Institute, 2017

Identifying what it means to be a purposeful organization, this report maps the journey from rhetoric to reality.

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Tomorrow’s Company & All Party Parliamentary Corporate Governance Group, 2016

 A long-term approach demands that companies, their boards and shareholders look beyond immediate share price implications. Where historically, corporate governance and corporate responsibility have been treated as separate objectives, Tomorrow’s Company argues that a long-term approach demands viewing these all as part of the same wider aim to assist sustainable wealth creation.

The Mission Purpose Report 2017 focuses on the role of purpose amongst top 100 Norwegian businesses and raises the following questions: Why is purpose becoming more important? Are Norwegian businesses engaging in this powerful asset? Are purpose driven brands more successful?

The report also looks into how companies use core values to distinguish themselves in the marketplace. The results make for interesting reading, reinforcing our belief in the power of purpose.

To obtain your copy of the report - download here.