Corporate Governance Meets Data and Technology

Corporate governance encompasses a set of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions that affect the way a corporation is directed, administered, or controlled. Technology both enhances and disrupts the traditional board-centric corporate governance system, offering efficiency gains and transparency improvements while introducing new challenges and risks. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of three key themes: the redefinition of information and information asymmetry through the generation of and access to big data; blockchain's transformative potential in aggregating preferences and exercising shareholder voting rights while blurring the lines between securities and tokens; and the impact of smart contracts and their underlying infrastructure in expanding contracts and enabling decentralized governance through DAOs. These innovative technological solutions empower stakeholders to exercise governance rights effectively, but their complexity also give rise to new barriers and inequalities. As technology evolves, collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners is imperative to ensure that corporate governance remains effective and responsive to the dynamic business environment.