Corporate Governance and Entrepreneurship 5 credits

Established corporations face mounting pressure to innovate while managing existing operations, yet most struggle to balance entrepreneurial initiatives with traditional governance structures. You need a sophisticated understanding of how corporate governance either enables or constrains entrepreneurial activity within large organisations. This course addresses the critical gap between governance theory and entrepreneurial practice, examining why some corporations successfully foster innovation while others stifle it through misaligned governance mechanisms. You will examine governance structures specifically through an entrepreneurial lens, analysing board roles in innovation oversight, CEO and top management team relationships in driving corporate ventures, and ownership structures that support or hinder entrepreneurial activities. The curriculum covers corporate venturing strategies, portfolio management approaches, capital structure decisions for innovation funding, and external governance mechanisms including auditor relationships and market pressures. You will study organisational design choices that create entrepreneurial environments and explore how different governance configurations impact innovation outcomes. After completing this course, you will be able to evaluate corporate governance systems for their entrepreneurial potential and identify structural barriers to innovation within your organisation. You will be able to design governance frameworks that balance oversight with entrepreneurial freedom, analyse how board structure/composition and CEO relationships affect corporate venturing success, and assess capital structure strategies for funding innovation initiatives. You will further be able to make recommendations for organisational changes to support entrepreneurial activity while maintaining fiduciary responsibilities and stakeholder accountability.