Our work on ownership
We deliver independent analysis of the impact of ownership on business, society, and the environment.
Key themes:
- Examining ownership for influence and impact
- How owners influence their businesses
- How these businesses in turn impact society.
Key research questions
- How can long-term corporate commitments be governed effectively?
- How can ownership and governance lock in corporate commitment to fulfil purpose beyond profit maximisation?
- What role can business owners play in responding to longer-term and emerging systemic risks?
- What is the level of continuity across owners’ platforms eg philanthropy, investments, and core business(es)?
- How do owners secure support for these arrangements from decision-makers including board members, senior management, and other shareholders?
Research Methodologies
- Case studies of family firms
- Participant observation of events; analysis of documents and archives
- Executive interviews with principals of family businesses generating $1Bn+ annual revenue
- Surveys of public and private family businesses with the Family Business Network and B-Lab, through the 'Polaris Impact Assessment'
- Large data set creation: 3000+ publicly listed companies, across different ownership types, analysing performance against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures.
Workstreams
Our work takes a multi-disciplinary perspective on:
- The role of ‘the responsible’ or ‘engaged’ business owner
- Ownership and long-termism
- Ownership and risks
- Leadership in impact and systems change
- Ownership and ESG
- Ownership and performance.
The changing nature of business is raising profound questions about the legitimacy of ownership and the obligations and responsibilities of owners. These questions are at the heart of this project.
Special Projects
- Women and ownership, looking at global shifts in gender roles in the context of the increasing complexity of family shareholdings and family offices, with a focus on Africa and the Middle East
- What role do women play in shifting the direction of the family business? What evidence is there that women have differential access to pathways to influence strategy?
- How are family firms evolving their governance and ownership to make space at the top for women?
- Middle East and North Africa (MENA) project
- Deepening our expertise on ownership issues relevant in Middle Eastern and North African countries through partnership and collaboration with academics and specialist practitioners in the area.
Latest Publications
- Mary Johnstone-Louis and Charmian Love (2021) The Big Idea Series / Getting Serious About Stakeholder Capitalism: The Myth of the CEO Hero 13 May 2021. Harvard Business Review.
- Colin Mayer (2021) Journal of Management Studies The Future of the Corporation and the Economics of Purpose. First published: 21 October 2020. Journal of Management Studies. Volume 58, Issue 3 May 2021 Pages 887-901.
- Peter Tufano (2021) Training leaders to win wars and forge peace: lessons from history. Business History Review , Volume 94 , Issue 4 , Winter 2020 , pp. 807 - 833 03 Feb 2021.
- Colin Mayer et al (2021) Measuring Purpose: An Integrated Framework. SSRN, 2 Feb 2021.
- Mary Johnstone-Louis, Bridget Kustin, Colin Mayer, Judith C. Stroehle and Boya Wang (2020) Business in Times of Crisis. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Volume 36, 2020, Pages S242–S255.
- Robert G. Eccles, Mary Johnstone-Louis, Colin Mayer, and Judith C. Stroehle (2020) The Board’s Role in Sustainability A new framework for getting directors behind ESG efforts. Harvard Business Review Sept/Oct 2020.
- Mary Johnstone-Louis, Bridget Kustin, Covid-19 is a call to action for family business Oxford Answers, Said Business School. 29 June 2020.
- Colin Mayer, Bridget Kustin, Mary Johnstone-Louis (2020) Enlightened Investment in Times of Crisis The Conduit Club Insights. Summer 2020.
- Colin Mayer (2020) Shareholderism Versus Stakeholderism – a Misconceived Contradiction. A Comment on 'The Illusory Promise of Stakeholder Governance' by Lucian Bebchuk and Roberto Tallarita European Corporate Governance Institute - Law Working Paper No. 522/2020 Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) June 3, 2020.
- Colin Mayer (2019) Ownership, Agency and Trusteeship European Corporate Governance Institute - Law Working Paper No. 488/2020 December 11, 2019 Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI).
- Bridget Kustin, Jonathan Chan, Mary Johnstone-Louis, (2019) The Future of Corporate Ownership and Governance Future of the Corporation 2019 Working Papers. Summer 2019.