Globalization and corporate governance: issues for management researchers

Purpose - This paper seeks to highlight the diversity of ideological positions adopted by management researchers in the globalization and corporate governance debate, with the belief that making such positions more explicit should foster confrontation and innovation both in discussions internal to the management research community, and in external contributions to the transformation of business and society. Design/methodology/approach - This paper develops a typology of corporate governance models by distinguishing between a "contractual", a "moral", and a "dialectical" view of the corporation. Findings - More management research in an empirical, holistic and trans-disciplinary approach will be needed if, along a dialectical view of corporate governance, the building of a balance between economic and social forces is a necessary condition for sustaining any given form of capitalism. If such assumption holds true, then management researchers could make a distinctive contribution to the debate on the basis of their specific knowledge and understanding of the operation of large corporations. Originality/value - The dialectical view of corporate governance opens up new avenues for management research. This paper offers an original framework for the analysis of transnational corporations.