The benefit of learning together with your friend is that you keep each other accountable and have meaningful discussions about what you're learning.

Courtlyn
Promotion and Events SpecialistJune 23, 2022
6 weeks, online
4–6 hours per week
US$2,600 US$2,288 or get US$260 off with a referral
Our participants tell us that taking this program together with their colleagues helps to share common language and accelerate impact.
We hope you find the same. Special pricing is available for groups.
The benefit of learning together with your friend is that you keep each other accountable and have meaningful discussions about what you're learning.
Courtlyn
Promotion and Events SpecialistBased on the information you provided, your team is eligible for a special discount, for Corporate Governance: Maximize Your Effectiveness in the Boardroom starting on June 23, 2022 .
We’ve sent you an email with enrollment next steps. If you’re ready to enroll now, click the button below.
Have questions? Email us at group-enrollments@emeritus.org.Today’s organizations are working harder than ever to adapt to a rapidly changing world. This requires effective corporate governance that can help them increase their accountability and avoid major disasters while also being more responsive to stakeholder concerns and more transparent with investors. Whether you’re already on a board or looking to join one, this program will help you navigate unexpected enterprise risks while capably monitoring financial performance. From the technical responsibilities of a board to the nuances of guiding an organization through contemporary challenges, you’ll get a comprehensive overview of the role of corporate governance and gain critical insights into the realities of board service.
Just 10% of Russell 3000 directors are members of an ethnic minority group, and only 15% of new directors are ethnically diverse.
Over the past five years, the U.S. increased its corporate governance scores by 25% — nearly four times more than Brazil and Canada.
Wharton’s Corporate Governance program explores the role, structure, and responsibilities of corporate governance to help you succeed as a board member. This program will enable you to:
Begin the program by learning the basic structure and responsibilities of a board as an organization’s top level of governance.
Explore the features of an inclusive board culture and its role in leveraging diverse talent.
Articulate the role of the board in CEO compensation and succession planning.
Describe how a board should manage crisis situations and/or internal investigations.
Gain insights into the challenges and benefits inherent in ESG and outline considerations for developing an optimal organization-level ESG strategy.
Recognize the influence of non-market factors (such as external social, political, and legal forces) on organizations.
Begin the program by learning the basic structure and responsibilities of a board as an organization’s top level of governance.
Describe how a board should manage crisis situations and/or internal investigations.
Explore the features of an inclusive board culture and its role in leveraging diverse talent.
Gain insights into the challenges and benefits inherent in ESG and outline considerations for developing an optimal organization-level ESG strategy.
Articulate the role of the board in CEO compensation and succession planning.
Recognize the influence of non-market factors (such as external social, political, and legal forces) on organizations.
Discussion Boards
Polls
Reflections
Industry Examples
Assignments
Live Office Hours
Try-it Activities
Self-Study Quizzes
This online program provides real-world learning examples to help you understand the realities of corporate governance in practice through the experiential lens of leading global brands.
Analyze Apple’s board demographics to understand the value of diversity in background, experience, and skill sets.
Understand the importance of board accountability and how a captive board can reduce oversight in governance via this example of Disney’s board being comprised of friends and acquaintances of its president, Michael Ovitz.
Understand the impact of non-market factors through this example of the pharmaceutical organization, Mylan.
See how some companies (Starbucks,in this case) take diversity to heart and the influence that a diverse board can have.
Recognize the impact of diversity in background, experience, and skill sets through an analysis of Wells Fargo’s board composition.
This program enables you to explore the processes and responsibilities that drive corporate governance. It also includes a handbook where you can reflect on the program content and how it can help you succeed in a board member role. Topics addressed in the handbook include:
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Mary-Hunter McDonnell
Associate Professor of Management, Organizational Behavior, The Wharton School
Mary-Hunter McDonnell studies organizational behavior within challenging institutional contexts, such as contentious social environments and uncertain regulatory environments. Her research draws on organizational theory and political sociology to explore political interactions between corporations and their myriad stakeholders. In particular, she is interested in how a company’s interactions with its stakeholders shape corporate social activity and non-market strategy.
Her work also sheds light on the mechanisms that stakeholders use to enforce social norms for corporations and to punish corporate transgressions. She has published articles in leading peer-reviewed scholarly journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, the American Sociological Review, Organization Science, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Psychological Science, as well as law reviews, including the Cornell Law Review and the Harvard Human Rights Journal. Her dissertation won the Best Dissertation Prize from Oxford University’s Centre for Corporate Reputation, and her work was also awarded the Best Paper Prize at the 2014 Strategic Management Society annual conference. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, and the Academy of Management Journal.
Professor McDonnell holds a PhD in Management and Organizations from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA in Philosophy from the UNC Chapel Hill.
Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a digital certificate of completion from the Wharton School.
Download BrochureNote: After successful completion of the online program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.
Flexible payment options available.