"Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) are unique economic and governance events as privately held firms issue common stock or shares to the public for the first time. The governance issues surrounding IPOs are relatively unexamined compared to more established, and usually larger, firms. As such, they provide a unique context to study corporate governance and its development around the world. Based on a collaborative international research project, this book analyses the corporate governance of IPOs in twenty-one countries, each of which is characterized by different governance environments and different levels of IPO activity. The end result is a broad and deep assessment of governance practices and IPO activity for an array of economies that represent roughly 80 percent of the global economy. These chapters collectively provide new insights into what a global theory of corporate governance might look like and offer guidance to policy makers and academics regarding national governance configurations"--

Globalization and unlimited connectedness to all places in the world give us the impression that our world is growing smaller and smaller. We can get products from all over the world anytime, can easily communicate with people on the other side of the planet with just a mouse click, and travel almost anywhere within a day or two. These developments are very inspiring and open up an array of new experiences and opportunities for us, in our private lives and in international business.