Look who’s closing the governance gap

I’VE BEEN using Google’s email news alerts for years and have never bothered to unsubscribe them even though I get the same stuff via RSS.

One of my alerts is for articles about corporate governance. It might just be my imagination, but I’m noticing an interesting trend in news articles that include the phrase “corporate governance.”

Fewer of them are from publications in developed markets like the United States and Europe. Increasingly, corporate governance is making news in developing markets. Here’s what Google included in my daily news alert for “corporate governance” a few days ago. This is typical of what I’ve been getting for the past year or so. I’ve bolded the country of each publication.

`Transparency in corporate governance help firms grow`
Business Standard - Mumbai,Maharashtra,India
The key to success for Indian companies planning to go global is
transparency in corporate governance, said SD Shibulal, Co-founder and COO,
…
<http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?autono=307568&leftnm=8&subLeft=0&chkFlg=>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.business-standard.com/c

For better governance
Economic Times - Gurgaon,Haryana,India
The finance ministry’s objections to inclusion of provisions on corporate
governance such as one-third of the board seats of listed companies going
to …
<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Editorials/For_better_governance/articleshow/2623327.cms>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Editorials/F

‘Improved corporate governance reflects in stock prices’
Zee News - Noida,Uttar Pradesh,India
Mumbai, Dec 13: Nearly 98 per cent of companies listed on the National
Stock Exchange (NSE) complies with all norms of corporate governance, …
<http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=413037&ssid=50&ssname=Economy&sid=BUS&sname=>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp%3Faid%3D413037%

A stock crash is just what China needs
Asia Times Online - Kowloon,Hong Kong
What matters is corporate governance: clear and transparent disclosure of
financial information, the appointment of independent directors to company
boards, …
<http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/IL15Cb02.html>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/IL15Cb02.html>

Type of content: VENDOR WHITE PAPER
InformationWeek - Manhasset,NY,USA
HP is well-positioned to help its customers leverage SOA for IT governance,
and more broadly, for corporate governance.
<http://whitepaper.informationweek.com/cmpinformationweek/search/index/sol_summary/
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ncl=http://whitepaper.informationweek.com/cmpinformationweek/

This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google…
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Sure, developing countries lag pretty far behind the developed world in corporate governance practices, but I don’t think it will stay that way for long.

Companies in developed markets like the U.S. had better get used to more competition from other developed markets and, increasingly, from emerging markets like India, China, Malaysia, Brazil, and Russia.

It doesn’t help, of course, when regulators reach decisions that make America appear like a third-world governance backwater, prompting indignation even from such pro-business pubs as the Economist and the FT.

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