Corporate governance and the role of non‐executive directors in large UK companies: an empirical study

In the 1990s various committees (Cadbury, Greenbury, Hempel) reported on governance issues, including the role played by non‐executive directors in promoting “best practice”. Following public concern at cases of “excessive” pay awards to executive directors and financial irregularities the government has recently appointed the Higgs Committee to review again the contribution of non‐executive directors. This paper presents an empirical study of the involvement of non‐executives in large UK companies, assesses the extent to which these companies now “conform” to the recommendations of “best practice” proposed by the earlier committees and looks at the general and specific controversies surrounding the employment of non‐executives as part of companies corporate governance structures.