ECGI keywords trends (July 2025)
This animated chart highlights how corporate governance research trends have evolved over time.
Top 20 keywords in 2002
takeovers
corporate control
board structure
corporate disclosure
mergers and acquisitions
ownership structure
regulatory competition
shareholders
company law
ownership
Delaware
comparative corporate governance
mandatory disclosure
boards
fiduciary duty
takeover law
private benefits
employment protection
managers
proxy contests
Top 20 keywords in 2005
corporate law
regulatory competition
ownership structure
mergers and acquisitions
investor protection
Emerging markets
executive compensation
law and finance
regulation
director liability
Disclosure
Firm performance
Cross-listing
takeovers
company law
Corporate Finance
shareholder value
ownership and control
payout policy
Korea
Top 20 keywords in 2008
investor protection
shareholder protection
shareholders
regulatory competition
contracts
agency costs
comparative corporate governance
private equity
corporate law
securities regulation
executive compensation
regulation
Disclosure
IPOs
Stakeholders
acquisitions
mandatory disclosure
creditor protection
ownership structure
enforcement
Top 20 keywords in 2011
financial crisis
IPOs
Banks
private equity
law and finance
shareholder rights
company law
India
acquisitions
voting
Takeover premium
Law firm reputation
executive compensation
shareholder activism
corporate law
regulation
systemic risk
boards
Hedge Funds
Executive Remuneration
Top 20 keywords in 2014
financial crisis
executive compensation
financial regulation
board of directors
payout policy
Hedge Funds
shareholder activism
corporate law
agency costs
innovation
Corporate Social Responsibility
systemic risk
monitoring
Banks
institutional investors
mutual funds
mergers and acquisitions
dividends
banking regulation
Related Party Transactions
Top 20 keywords in 2017
institutional investors
shareholder activism
Bankruptcy
innovation
Corporations
short-termism
insider trading
convergence
directors
executive compensation
Banks
shareholder rights
Shareholder voting
Hedge Funds
dividends
Delaware
fiduciary duties
business groups
Corporate Finance
agency costs
Top 20 keywords in 2020
institutional investors
ESG
shareholder activism
Stakeholders
climate change
stewardship
agency costs
index funds
venture capital
private equity
Institutional ownership
Disclosure
Sustainable Finance
CSR
shareholder value
Shareholder voting
mutual funds
Sustainability
board of directors
engagement
Top 20 keywords in 2023
ESG
corporate law
institutional investors
Corporate Social Responsibility
climate change
Corporate purpose
Stakeholders
Sustainability
Shareholder voting
private equity
venture capital
mutual funds
agency costs
Environmental
CSR
securities regulation
fiduciary duties
Corporations
stakeholder capitalism
Disclosure
Top 20 keywords in 2003
control
ownership
ownership structure
political economy
takeovers
mergers and acquisitions
investor protection
Initial Public Offerings
pyramids
financial development
corporate control
comparative corporate governance
boards
executive compensation
law and finance
Dual Class Shares
financial distress
voting rights
stock markets
ownership concentration
Top 20 keywords in 2006
mergers and acquisitions
takeovers
corporate law
Disclosure
hedge fund
regulatory competition
Securities Law
securities regulation
pyramids
family firms
outside directors
Diversification
hostile takeovers
voting
takeover
means of payment
company law
ownership and control
Bankruptcy
banking
Top 20 keywords in 2009
corporate law
private enforcement
financial crisis
ownership structure
public enforcement
regulatory competition
executive compensation
shareholder activism
board of directors
Comparative Corporate Law
derivative actions
agency problems
Banks
minority shareholders
underpricing
Initial Public Offerings
boards of directors
corporate governance.
Securities Law
SOX
Top 20 keywords in 2012
financial crisis
private equity
board of directors
CEO compensation
investor protection
agency costs
Transparency
human capital
capital structure
monitoring
shareholder rights
voting
executive compensation
shareholder activism
corporate law
boards
Societas Europaea
European Company
attendance
General meeting
Top 20 keywords in 2015
financial crisis
institutional investors
executive compensation
financial regulation
Banks
banking regulation
Related Party Transactions
takeovers
ownership structure
regulation
enforcement
regulatory competition
Bankruptcy
boards of directors
tunneling
Banking Union
resolution
financial history
European corporate law
Executive pay
Top 20 keywords in 2018
institutional investors
Related Party Transactions
shareholder activism
blockchain
tunneling
corporate law
Hedge Fund Activism
shareholders
Independent Directors
controlling shareholders
agency problems
innovation
Shareholder voting
Hedge Funds
mergers and acquisitions
Disclosure
Finance
executive compensation
fiduciary duties
regulation
Top 20 keywords in 2021
ESG
institutional investors
Corporate purpose
climate change
corporate law
Corporate Social Responsibility
Environmental
controlling shareholders
Stakeholders
Shareholder voting
mutual funds
Sustainability
regulation
Bankruptcy
mergers and acquisitions
Social
shareholder activism
Sustainable Finance
CSR
board of directors
Top 20 keywords in 2024-25
ESG
corporate law
institutional investors
venture capital
climate change
fiduciary duties
Carbon Emissions
mergers and acquisitions
Corporate purpose
Sustainability
Shareholder voting
private equity
agency costs
executive compensation
board of directors
regulation
Corporate Social Responsibility
Stakeholders
Bankruptcy
Common ownership
Top 20 keywords in 2004
ownership structure
board of directors
investor protection
agency costs
corporate law
Incentives
control
mergers and acquisitions
voting rights
venture capital
Disclosure
leverage
dividend policy
agency problems
Firm performance
Emerging markets
Cross-listing
Shareholder base
path dependency
takeovers
Top 20 keywords in 2007
investor protection
Harmonization
mutual funds
private equity
controlling shareholders
corporate law
regulatory competition
securities regulation
venture capital
corporate control
Independent Directors
shareholder activism
investment screens
executive compensation
regulation
Cross-listing
firm valuation
Family ownership
Large shareholders
Corporate Social Responsibility
Top 20 keywords in 2010
financial crisis
institutional investors
executive compensation
shareholder activism
corporate law
directors
comparative corporate governance
regulatory competition
regulation
enforcement
shareholders
shareholder empowerment
Corporate Scandals
systemic risk
Takeover Defences
Banks
shareholder protection
agency costs
Disclosure
Stakeholders
Top 20 keywords in 2013
takeovers
Hedge Funds
short-termism
liquidity
financial crisis
board of directors
agency costs
shareholder activism
corporate law
private benefits of control
innovation
private equity
concentrated ownership
Corporate Social Responsibility
Firm performance
enforcement
venture capital
Earnings management
diversity
managerial myopia
Top 20 keywords in 2016
takeovers
mergers and acquisitions
Corporations
board
executive compensation
regulation
Bankruptcy
shareholder activism
Independent Directors
Disclosure
bank regulation
Entrepreneurship
financial crisis
institutional investors
Banks
boards of directors
Corporate Social Responsibility
private equity
merger
board of directors
Top 20 keywords in 2019
institutional investors
regulatory competition
shareholder activism
corporate law
blockchain
Hedge Fund Activism
innovation
regulation
agency costs
ESG
index funds
Centros
voting
Regulatory Arbitrage
Shareholder voting
fiduciary duties
Corporate Social Responsibility
Technology
venture capital
private equity
Top 20 keywords in 2022
ESG
institutional investors
Stakeholders
Corporate purpose
Corporate Social Responsibility
stakeholder capitalism
COVID-19
Disclosure
climate change
shareholder activism
Common ownership
Shareholder primacy
stakeholder governance
venture capital
Antitrust
Diversification
corporate law
Environmental
Sustainability
Bankruptcy