Corporate Governance: Associations & Organizations

Association of chief executive officers from U.S. leading companies. Advocates for public policies that ensure strong economic growth, a dynamic economy and a well-trained U.S. labour force. One of its eight major task forces and issues is corporate governance. This includes links to their principles of corporate governance, as well as other helpful links including Business Ethics, SEC rules, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, accounting and financial reform, executive compensation and more.

CBERN supports strategic knowledge mobilization through a $2.1 million grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), private funding initiatives and creative partnerships. CBERN crosses academic disciplines and economic sectors, promoting research with impact in the Canadian context and internationally.

Ceres is a non-profit organization advocating for sustainability leadership for over 20 years. Check under "Resources" for Ceres' reports, podcasts and videos.

The ECGI is an international scientific non-profit association providing a forum for debate and dialogue between academics, legislators and practitioners, focusing on major corporate governance issues and promoting best practice. Contains a searchable database of codes from countries around the world. Paid membership required.

This is a Canadian not-for-profit member-based association representing Canadian directors in the for-profit, not-for-profit and Crown sectors. ICD offers education and certification programs for directors. Many of the information resources offered by the Institute are available to members only.

Under the umbrella of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Member States called on ISAR to promote increased corporate transparency, including improved corporate governance disclosure in 2000.

ICGN is an investor-led organization of governance professionals, an international not-for-profit association based in the U.K. Publishes best practice guidance documents and discussion papers (note: non-members must contact them to request copies of discussion papers.)

NACD's mission is to advance exemplary board leadership -for directors, by directors. The NACD Key Agreed Principles document a consensus among directors, executives, and shareowners on benchmarks for leading practices.

A listing of companies that were prosecuted by the Ontario Ministry of Labour for violating the Employment Standards Act. Not a company ranking in the usual sense ... but certainly a list of companies with ethical problems.

A search engine on corporate misconduct, covering banking, consumer protection, false claims, environmental, health, safety, price-fixing and bribery cases initiated by 30 federal regulatory agencies and the Justice Department since 2010. It is produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First.

American, and for a very particular purpose: it is a listing of "companies with histories of misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations" to which the US government has awarded contracts. It is run by the Project On Government Oversight, "a nonpartisan independent watchdog that champions good government reforms. POGO’s investigations into corruption, misconduct, and conflicts of interest achieve a more effective, accountable, open, and ethical federal government."