The convergence of international corporate governance systems : where is Australia heading? Part 1

Corporate governance has been a buzzword for over a decade and has come to mean different things to different people. On an international scale there has been some converging of basic principles for Anglo-American corporates, but less so for other jurisdictions under the Civil Code system. This three-part article attempts to bring together a series of corporate governance themes developing around the world and compare them to some recent Australian case studies. Many of the observations are in the light of the role of the Company Secretary, as recognised under the OECD principles on corporate governance as the 'conscience of the board'. Finally, there are some lessons or at least directions Australian corporations should be considering in identifying corporate governance practices for the next five years