Knowledge Centre

On 5 December 2019, the annual event of the Centre Public Governance debated on the question: To who is a director in the public sector accountable? This is certainly one of the most difficult topics in public governance. Since 2006, with the support of its partners Belfius and Deloitte, the GUBERNA Centre Public Governance has continuously developed its knowledge of the governance issues of public organisations.

A long tradition of entrepreneurial research has repeatedly highlighted the importance of the family in the genesis and transmission of entrepreneurial skills and behaviors. Some researchers have attributed this effect to the phenomenon of role models, which explains how, within a family, parents are observed and then imitated by children, which affects both children’s goals, once they become adults, as well as their aspirations and attitudes.

We reflect on the notion of the ‘family’ in a governance context in view of the continuity of the family business. If the spouses of the head of the family business appear to play a pivotal role in transmitting the entrepreneurial spirit to their children, could or should they also play a role from a governance perspective?

The 2019 Directors’ Day provided the many GUBERNA-members with a strong and clear wake-up call, combined with a precious call to action. Digital transformation and innovation are everywhere and therefore certainly affect the way companies should be governed. Directors have an urgent duty to become more “tech-savvy”, to be more in touch with what the latest technologies can offer. As digitisation and innovation have an impact on all businesses, they can no longer be a blind spot on the agenda of a board of directors!

Nowadays, the board of directors is regarded as a prominent player and even as the lever for corporate governance. The call for professionalisation is growing louder and louder. Directors are confronted with increasing expectations and responsibilities. But are they equipped for it? Which challenges do they face?

Following the recent tsunami of regulations, the board of directors today still has a mainly "controlling" function in many companies. Its mission largely focuses on the protection of (minority) shareholders by limiting investment risks and avoiding conflicts of interest. Consequently, a director's duties are still too often limited to monitoring, compliance and risk management. This sometimes seems to be at odds with the organisational flexibility that innovation necessitates. After all, innovation requires creativity and entrepreneurship in a cooperative, open culture in which risk-taking is seen as indispensable. This raises the question of whether and how the board of directors should redefine its role in the digital age.

Are you interested in the Governance of Social Profit Organisations? Are you active in a non-profit organisation and/or do you want to improve/add value to your role as a director, manager or volunteer? 

De publicaties «Hospital Governance Forum Serie» zijn een initiatief van GUBERNA, het Belgisch Instituut voor Bestuurders vzw. Als ledennetwerk en kenniscentrum voor goed bestuur in alle types van organisaties, besteedt GUBERNA bijzondere aandacht aan de governance van ziekenhuisstructuren in België. 

Proximus and the departure of a top Belgian CEO to the Netherlands raise fundamental questions about the way in which the Belgian state manages its shares in different companies

We take a look at the origin of board committees, setting them up, populating them as well as trends and challenges for board committees.

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Sociale ondernemingen zijn ondernemingen die sociale en maatschappelijke problemen, zoals armoede, sociale uitsluiting en ecologische problemen willen aanpakken en dit doen door het verhandelen van goederen en/of diensten. Ze onderscheiden zich van non-profit organisaties doordat ze hun financiële middelen verwerven via het uitoefenen van een ondernemingsactiviteit en niet (alleen) uit giften en subsidies. Ze onderscheiden zich van reguliere, commerciële organisaties omwille van het dominante sociale doel dat ze nastreven. Sociaal ondernemerschap krijgt in toenemende mate aandacht van beleidsmakers en academici als een middel om sociale en maatschappelijke problemen op te lossen.

Public consultation on new Guidelines for company reporting on climate-related information

On 28 February 2019, the Belgian Parliament approved a major modernisation of the Belgian Company and Association law.

De nieuwe Belgische Corporate Governance Code 2020 is door de regering erkend als referentiecode voor de Belgische genoteerde vennootschappen. 

Should the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) be examined from a governance perspective? What role would a director have to play in integrating changes that will affect the future of the company, but perhaps also the future of all of us?