Dilemmas, Dilemmas: Practical case studies for Company Directors
by Julie Garland McLellan
ISBN: 9781449921965, Publisher: Great Governance, USA, March 2010
Reviewed by: Geoff De Lacyi
Julie Garland McLellan is passionate about the world of Corporate Governance which is evident in this new book.
Her previous book on Corporate Governance in the public sector was well received as a practical and worthwhile addition and this one will be too.
In this new work she poses a number of cases which traverse a broad spectrum of issues facing the Non-Executive Director (NED) regularly in Australia and elsewhere. Solutions are proposed from an array of NED's she has assembled. These Directors come from varied backgrounds and their recommendations are complemented by Julie's own thoughts and analysis. Many of the case studies clarify issues which can be quite challenging for newer Directors in particular
Described often as an excellent researcher, teacher and writer, Julie has written a module for the AICD Diploma course and reviewed others. She is obviously technically very strong and so her inputs are certainly valuable. Her Director experience is broad and adds weight to the case analyses.
Whilst applicable at all levels, I thought the book had particular value as a reinforcement tool for new Directors. It has great applicability to the not for profit sector and would be a great "aide memoire" for trainers and teachers.
The book's structure can also be tied to sections of the Corporate Governance texts in use today and serves as a good method for group facilitation.
The cases are short and so are many of the proposed solutions. This, in my opinion, is the better way to present such a book for it allows busy people to embrace concepts more easily. If more definitive material seems necessary, academic and legal works can be consulted.
Dilemmas, Dilemmas: Practical Case Studies for Company Directors will be a valuable addition to the field and is certainly recommended.
i Geoff De Lacy FAICD; FIoD; FAIM is the principal of Polaris Consulting