What do you think about ESG reporting in general, and in particular, how to capture qualitative data?
Why would businesses sign the Statement of Purpose of a Corporation without apparently following through with changes that elevated “stakeholders”?
If you were the Chair of the SEC, would you be concerned about fewer public companies? If so, what would you do about it? Is promoting IPOs part of your official charge? Should it be?
What are your thoughts about the “pecking order” of capital and how it may have played a role in the bankruptcy?
Do you agree with the broader view of capital? What are some of the implications for financial accounting and reporting?
What is your opinion about the acting head of the SEC removing subpoena authority from some of the SEC’s senior enforcement officials? What to you perceive as being some of the potential benefits? Potential costs?
Why is there a trend toward “de-equitizing” the capital markets? Do you believe (over) regulation of public companies plays a part? If you needed cash, what options are available and how would you choose?
If you were CEO, and if you believe the results of the research that suggests that explicitly mentioning “shareholder value” in your annual letter to shareholders affects your compensation, how would you write your letter?(!)
Do you believe it is unusual for governments to relinquish ownership of commercial enterprises in favor of private control? What do the Norwegian and Swedish governments believe that private capital structures could do better than social/public ownership? How would you measure whether private ownership in fact is better?
Why do you think the IPO market is weak and new startups are opting to sell themselves rather than go public? If you were an entrepreneur of a startup, what would you consider in making the decision?
Do you believe the author that capitalism is in crisis? Do you have counter arguments to the “evidence” (such as money spent on share repurchases)? That is, is it reasonable to assert that share buybacks indicate the system is in crisis?
Excellent points raised in this article. What are the implications for firms seeking relatively cheap credit? Are the days of borrowing (cheaply) to buy back stock coming to an end? Should capital use be regulated? Will it politicize credit?
If you were a CEO, should “maximizing ESG measures” be part of your firm’s stated objectives? Who wins? Who loses? How would you compensate your employees?
Do you agree with the author that capitalism cannot (or struggles to) create a just society? Do you think accounting measurement and reporting systems play any part in this contention, if true? If so, how?
Why do you think the author attributes so much of the basis (and “success”) of capitalism to the simple bookkeeping method of the double entry system? How did the notion of “profit” fit into the religious views of the time?
In your opinion, who will ultimately be proved right in the current debate: French President Hollande or the CEO of Peugeot? How would you decide among a dividend, share repurchase, or keeping workers on the line? What are the multiple factors to consider?
Are corporations people? Is the “human asset” recognized as an asset on the balance sheet? Should it be? If so, how would you measure its value?
Do stakeholders in philanthropies (i.e., the philanthropists themselves) want measurable results from their “capital”? How would you measure return on donated capital?
