BUS558: GBA (Group-based Assignment) SUSS: Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility, Singapore

Instructions

The objective of this GBA is to provide an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge learnt in the course and to develop necessary technical skills and knowledge of change management for sustainability as well as improve their critical and analytical thinking.

Students should work together in a group and leverage on the knowledge of and resources from each team member to produce the report.

Question 1

Select a public listed company, operating in Singapore, which you are familiar with.

An investment company in Singapore engages your team to prepare a report on the selected company. You need to do research on the company and refer to its website, annual reports, relevant articles, and other reliable sources.

Your report should specifically address the following questions, referring to the Singapore Code of Corporate Governance (last amended 11 January 2023) (“Singapore Code”) and relevant guidelines.

(a) Appraise any two (2) strengths and two (2) weaknesses of the selected company’s corporate governance with regard to its latest board composition. How might diverse perspectives contribute to more effective governance in this case? Provide relevant examples.

(b) Analyse (i) the membership and (ii) the role of the selected company’s Audit Committee. How should corporate governance frameworks evolve to better address emerging risks, such as cybersecurity threats and climate change? Provide relevant examples.

Question 2

The recent scandal of Cordlife Group Limited (Cordlife), the first private cord blood banks in Asia, in Singapore has shaken the industry. (read https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/wedon-t-want-to-fail-parents-another-time-cordlife-ceo-on-addressing-lapses).

(a) Examine Cordlife’s stakeholder management. Provide relevant examples. Recommend two (2) suggestions to improve its communication with stakeholders.

(Hint: You need to do research on the company and refer to its website, annual reports, relevant articles, and other reliable sources.)

(b) The Money Authority of HAHA Kingdom (MAHK) has adopted similar principles and provisions in the Singapore Code of Corporate Governance (last amended 11 January 2023) (“Singapore Code”) to improve its corporate governance landscape. Given the recent Cordlife’s scandal, MAHK engages your team as external consultants to revise its Code of Corporate Governance (MAHK Code).

You are required to recommend one (1) additional principle with three (3) provisions, relating to risk management and internal control, to better address similar risks which have occurred in Cordlife’s case. Justify your recommendations with relevant examples.