Information flows, organizational structure, and corporate governance

Abstract

This survey provides an overview of theoretical and empirical research on information flows in corporations. It highlights key frictions preventing effective information flows and discusses how organizational structure and corporate governance can alleviate these frictions, focusing on three broad topics: 1) organizational design, such as the choice between centralized and decentralized decision-making; 2) composition and decision-making process of the board of directors; and 3) communication among shareholders and between shareholders and management in the context of shareholder activism. The goal of the survey is to draw connections between theoretical and empirical work and point out directions for future research.

Keywords: communication, organizational structure, delegation, board of directors, shareholder activism, information flows, committee decision-making

JEL Classification: D23, D82, D83, G34, L22