The role that a CEO’s personality plays in corporate outcomes is a topic of considerable interest, particularly the relation between narcissistic CEOs and performance. Common perception is that CEO narcissism is highly prevalent, and considerable research suggests that narcissism is associated...

This case is a follow up to Keller Williams (A) HR-29A, and explains the actions taken by Keller Williams in response to the residential real estate market downturn in 2008 and 2009. The case explains the programs and initiatives put in place by the company to boost agent count, increase...

In recent years, much attention has been paid to CEO succession planning as a risk management issue. However, it is not clear what information the company should disclose on this matter or how extensive the disclosure should be. This is particularly true when it comes to companies whose CEOs are...

In recent years, there has been considerable debate as to whether CEO compensation is actually correlated with performance in U.S. companies. This issue is known as “pay for performance.” While the debate is often heated, there tends to be little in the way of concrete analysis to inform...

Reliable financial reporting is essential to the proper functioning of capital markets. Investors rely on reported financials to make investment decisions and to evaluate the performance of management and the company over time.Recent years, however, have seen a proliferation of non-GAAP metrics...

A director's social and professional network contributes to his or her qualifications as a board member. In recent years, much attention has been paid to the negative aspects of inter-board connections, such as the spread of bad practices and a reduction in independence.At the same time, not...

One of the most important decisions that a board of directors must make is the selection of the CEO of the company. And yet survey data indicates that many boards are not prepared for this process.In recent years, shareholder groups have pressured boards to increase transparency about their...

Reliable financial reporting is critical to the efficiency of capital markets. Despite its importance, managers may have incentive to misrepresent financial results for personal gain.While academics and professionals have developed models to detect aggressive accounting, these have been met with...

Despite being one of the largest corporations in the world, Berkshire Hathaway receives relatively little public attention for its management and governance structure. Berkshire Hathaway is built on a model that involves extreme centralization of capital allocation decisions within corporate...

In recent years, Institutional Shareholder Services (was RiskMetrics Governance Services (RMG)) has played an influential role in the proxy voting process. According to some estimates, a recommendation by ISS can sway a proxy vote by 15 to 20 percent. Several companies are highly critical of ISS...