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Corporate governance: what about the workers?

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  • Prem Sikka

Abstract

Purpose - To stimulate debates about the creation of corporate governance mechanisms and processes which would help to secure an equitable distribution of income and wealth for workers. Design/methodology/approach - The paper builds on a political economy of income and wealth inequalities. It argues that corporate governance mechanisms and processes are rooted in particular politics and histories. The state is a key actor. It provides a brief history of the UK corporate governance debates relating to income distribution, industrial democracy and disclosures. It provides social data about the extent of income inequalities. Findings - The paper shows that the UK lacks institutional structures and processes and mechanisms to enable workers to secure a higher share of the firm's income. Research limitations/implications - The study primarily focuses on some aspects of the corporate governance structures, practices and income/wealth inequalities in the UK. Its implications could also be relevant to market‐oriented liberal states with “consensus” or “majoritarian” electoral systems. Practical implications - To encourage debates, the paper puts forward a number of suggestions for changing electoral and corporate governance practices together with disclosures that could give visibility to income and wealth inequalities. Originality/value - The paper links corporate governance debates to broader political choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Prem Sikka, 2008. "Corporate governance: what about the workers?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(7), pages 955-977, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aaajpp:v:21:y:2008:i:7:p:955-977
    DOI: 10.1108/09513570810907438
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Barreiros, Lídia., 1985. "Towards social accounting," ILO Working Papers 992431063402676, International Labour Organization.
    2. Burchell, Stuart & Clubb, Colin & Hopwood, Anthony G., 1985. "Accounting in its social context: Towards a history of value added in the United Kingdom," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 381-413, October.
    3. Jean-Marc Burniaux & Flavio Padrini & Nicola Brandt, 2006. "Labour Market Performance, Income Inequality and Poverty in OECD countries," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 500, OECD Publishing.
    4. John Christensen & Richard Murphy, 2004. "The Social Irresponsibility of Corporate Tax Avoidance: Taking CSR to the bottom line," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 47(3), pages 37-44, September.
    5. Prem Sikka & Mark P. Hampton, 2005. "The role of accountancy firms in tax avoidance: Some evidence and issues," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 325-343, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cooper, Christine & Coulson, Andrea & Taylor, Phil, 2011. "Accounting for human rights: Doxic health and safety practices – The accounting lesson from ICL," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(8), pages 738-758.
    2. Christopher, Joe, 2010. "Corporate governance—A multi-theoretical approach to recognizing the wider influencing forces impacting on organizations," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(8), pages 683-695.
    3. Josiah, J. & Gough, O. & Haslam, J. & Shah, N., 2014. "Corporate reporting implication in migrating from defined benefit to defined contribution pension schemes: A focus on the UK," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 18-37.
    4. Joe Christopher & Philomena Leung & Shane Leong, 2017. "Can Employees Be Used to Overcome Independent Audit Limitations?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 27(4), pages 442-456, December.
    5. Sarah Boateng, 2016. "Information Disclosure And Bank Stability; Evidence From Sub-Saharan Africa," Proceedings of Economics and Finance Conferences 4206600, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    6. Niamh M. Brennan & Jill Solomon, 2008. "Corporate governance, accountability and mechanisms of accountability: an overview," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(7), pages 885-906, September.
    7. Sikka, Prem, 2015. "The hand of accounting and accountancy firms in deepening income and wealth inequalities and the economic crisis: Some evidence," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 46-62.
    8. Anis Ben Amar & Islem Turki, 2022. "Temporal Evidence on Threshold Hierarchy Based on Accruals and Real Earnings Management: Evidence from France And The US," Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 21(3), pages 373-396, September.
    9. David Collison & Colin Dey & Gwen Hannah & Lorna Stevenson, 2010. "Anglo‐American capitalism: the role and potential role of social accounting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(8), pages 956-981, October.
    10. Ian Clark, 2019. "The British Home Stores pension scheme: privatised looting?," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(4), pages 331-347, July.
    11. Aila VIRTANEN & Tuomo TAKALA, 2016. "Accountability Of Corporate Boards In Finland," Management Research and Practice, Research Centre in Public Administration and Public Services, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 8(1), pages 5-24, March.

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