What does "corporate governance" actually mean?

Purpose - This paper aims to develop a framework of connotative meanings afforded to the term "corporate governance". Design/methodology/approach - An examination of academic publications from 1985-2012 containing the term "corporate governance" was conducted. The articles are sorted into the theoretical constructs that influence the contemporary connotative meaning of corporate governance. Findings - That a combination of a weak definitional base coupled with strong motivational forces have aided the development of competing theoretical perspectives of the meaning of corporate governance. The dominant meaning is written from an agency theory perspective. Research limitations/implications - Theoretical analysis was restricted to articles found in academic journals published since 1985. Practical implications - This study provides a very useful analysis into the connotative meanings and theoretical bases used by academic writers in the study of corporate governance. Originality/value - This paper provides an updated and developed analysis to the theoretical dimensions that underpin the contemporary use of the term "corporate governance".