Area of Expertise

Governance

Codes of conduct and governance codes are important for good governance and sustainable value creation in private and public sectors.

Many sectors self-regulate by means of codes of conduct. Codes of conduct and governance codes aim to influence behaviour through coordination and mutual agreements. This involves good governance and setting incentives in the public interest, for example to promote diversity and sustainable value creation.

SEO has extensive expertise in monitoring compliance with multiple governance and behavioural codes, such as the Corporate Governance Code. SEO also provides insights into the effectiveness of governance measures, including in the areas of sustainable value creation and diversity.

SUB-EXPERTISES

Monitoring of codes of conduct

How well are codes of conduct complied with?

SEO monitors the Dutch Corporate Governance Code and examines compliance with governance codes at banks, pension funds and the healthcare sector. Among other methods, we apply natural language processing techniques to analyse and quantify the extent to which businesses comply with, and report on, codes of conduct.

Effectiveness of codes of conduct

How effective are codes of conduct, and how to increase their effectiveness?

SEO has extensive experience in evaluating the effectiveness of codes of conduct, including by studying the considerations made by companies and organisations when deciding on their compliance with these codes. We do this through compliance research, in-depth surveys and focus group discussions. We also advise on increasing the effectiveness of codes of conduct. An example is our study on the effects of executive remuneration models on sustainable value creation.

Recent publications

Compliance with Corporate Governance Code

Governance

2016-87