Aujourd’hui, je vous réfère à un excellent article publié par Lucy P. Marcus* dans le magazine Project – Syndicate qui montre, exemples à l’appui, l’essor phénoménal de l’importance accordée à la gouvernance à l’échelle mondiale. L’auteure fait ressortir plusieurs facteurs qui contribuent à prioriser l’amélioration des processus de gouvernance des organisations et des nations.
Entre autre, l’article souligne que les vagues de réforme se produisent en cascade à l’échelle planétaire, des nouvelles règlementations au Japon aux nouvelles orientations prises par le fond souverain norvégien.
(1) La gouvernance des sociétés étant un sujet brûlant, les parties prenantes font de plus en plus entendre leurs voix :
« Today’s deep economic uncertainty has broadened ordinary people’s awareness of the influence that companies have on politics, policy, and their own daily lives »
(2) Il y a un accroissement de la reconnaissance que la prospérité des nations requiert une approche règlementaire robuste mais équilibrée :
« Authorities now recognize that paying to ensure good governance now is far less costly (both financially and politically) than paying for the consequences of bad governance later »
Partout, en Asie, aux É.U., en Europe, on observe une tendance à une règlementation plus proactive en matière de gouvernance, comme en font foi les nouvelles règles de divulgation de la SEC eu égard aux écarts de rémunération entre le PCD et le salaire moyen des employés. L’Europe, quant à elle, est particulièrement attentive et active dans son approche à la diversité, notamment à la place des femmes sur les conseils d’administration.
(3) Le facteur le plus important semble être la croissance exponentielle des activités de financement et d’investissement international. Les investisseurs accordent une importance primordiale à la gouvernance des entreprises et des pays dans lesquels ils investissent :
« International investors are in a unique position to encourage, or even enforce, global best practices in corporate governance. If such investors show that they are willing to withdraw financing, they will gain real influence in bringing about sustainable change – to the benefit of us all.
This is especially true if investors are guided by principles that go beyond financial returns. Global funds that uphold high ethical standards concerning labor practices and environmental protections are safeguarding the global ecosystem on which they, and the rest of us, depend. As they establish and implement such principles, the resulting momentum has been changing corporate governance and behavior across industries and régions.
The shift in emphasis on best-practice corporate governance is real, and it is here to stay. It comes from people finding and raising their voices, from politicians recognizing the importance of corporate governance for sustainable economic growth, and from influential investors putting genuine pressure on companies to change their behavior. Companies and boards ignore this trend at their peril ».
Je vous invite à lire le document ci-dessous afin de mieux comprendre les grands enjeux de gouvernance à l’échelle mondiale.
Bonne lecture !
The Better Corporation
Around the world, the corporate governance landscape is shifting, as efforts to improve business practices and policies gain support and momentum. The wave of reform has become visible everywhere – from tough new regulations in Japan to sovereign wealth funds like Norway’s Norges Bank Investment Management taking a more active approach to their investments – and it is certain to continue to rise.
Three factors are driving these developments. First, today’s deep economic uncertainty has broadened ordinary people’s awareness of the influence that companies have on politics, policy, and their own daily lives. And, as I have noted previously, people are not only paying greater attention; they also have more power than ever before to make their voices heard.
*Lucy P. Marcus, founder and CEO of Marcus Venture Consulting, Ltd., is Professor of Leadership and Governance at IE Business School and a non-executive board director of Atlantia SpA.
Gouvernance | Jacques Grisé 