Corporate Governance of Public Organizations (SoSe 2021)

Degree programme:
Master Wirtschaftswissenschaften – Business A: Accounting & Finance

Module:
Internationale Rechnungslegung und Wirtschaftsprüfung

Lecturers:
Prof. Dr. Liudvika Leisyte (Professorin für Hochschuldidaktik und Hochschulforschung)

Credits:
7,5 ECTS

Time and Place:
Tuesdays, 14:15-15:45, starting date is 20.04.2021 – Online on Moodle and via Zoom

Content of the Seminar:
In the past years due to the New Public Management reforms public organizations are steered towards functioning more as corporate organizations, which in turn means corporate social responsibility and the need for good governance. Good governance of public organizations in the context of calls for efficiency and effectiveness and cuts in public budgets in Europe and the US is crucial for delivering quality services, ascertaining public trust as well as fulfilling the mandate of the state. One of the crucial aspects of good governance of public organizations is the efficiency and impartiality of its management structures. The composition of the boards, the extent of inclusion of external donors as well as the independence of managers in setting strategic directions of organization are especially important in this regard. The studies of corporate governance in public organizations have revealed cases of misconduct in terms of professional ethics, financial mismanagement, preferential treatment or forging credentials. What are the key trends and problems in the good governance of public organizations, such as universities, museums, ministries, hospitals? How are the roles of board members changing in public sector organizations? What kind of stakeholders are represented in different types of public organizations and do they balance out different interests in the boards of public organizations? These questions will be the focus of the seminar where we will explore the main theoretical standpoints as well as latest empirical evidence of corporate governance of public organizations in an international perspective.

Organization:
All students are expected to actively participate in the seminar. Each of the sub-topics covered in the seminar will have compulsory reading. The students are expected to read the provided literature and find additional sources, such as other relevant articles, organizational strategy papers, and organizational reports. The assignment will consist of a presentation in pairs and an individual written 5000 words paper on a given topic using TU Dortmund or other public organizations in Dortmund as an example. The number of participants of this seminar is limited to 20.

Examination:
The examination consists of a presentation of the assignment and paper. Participation in discussions and giving feedback to other students after their presentations will also be important.