Publications

SAC publishes insights from a wide community of stewards. If you are interested to share your perspectives in areas such as sustainability, social responsibility, corporate governance and investment stewardship, click here for more information.

Books

Papers

Insights

Contributions

Stewardship: Fostering responsible long-term wealth creation

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How can a business thrive and sustain growth while enhancing the wealth of its stakeholders and the wellbeing of the societies in which it operates? This, in essence, is the question stewardship aims to answer. Jointly developed by Stewardship Asia Centre and IMD and principally authored by: Didier Cossin (IMD and Stewardship Asia Centre), Sophie Coughlan (IMD) and Ong Boon Hwee (Stewardship Asia Centre). This concept paper seeks to define and engender a discussion on stewardship and its landscape.

Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development

Jan 31, 2016

How can a business thrive and sustain growth while enhancing the wealth of its stakeholders and the wellbeing of the societies in which it operates? This, in essence, is the question stewardship aims to answer.

Jointly developed by Stewardship Asia Centre and IMD and principally authored by: Didier Cossin (IMD and Stewardship Asia Centre), Sophie Coughlan (IMD) and Ong Boon Hwee (Stewardship Asia Centre). This concept paper seeks to define and engender a discussion on stewardship and its landscape.

Stewardship Asia Centre may distribute content provided by non-staff contributors. Stewardship Asia Centre and its affiliates are not responsible for the statements and opinions expressed by these content providers. Content providers are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of such content, which are not guaranteed by Stewardship Asia Centre.

Four perspectives of stewardship

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Stewardship Asia Centre

Jan 02, 2016

Developed by Stewardship Asia Centre, this paper presents perspectives of stewardship that were raised by four stakeholder groups: boards, employees including management, investors, and regulators.

尽责治理的四个观点

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亚洲尽责治理研究院编制 本文介绍由其中四个群体（董事会、包括管理层在内的员工、投资者和监管机构）所提出的某些观点。

Jan 01, 2016

亚洲尽责治理研究院编制

本文介绍由其中四个群体（董事会、包括管理层在内的员工、投资者和监管机构）所提出的某些观点。

Summary of literature: Effective stewardship

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Academic literature is crowded with various context-based interpretations and definitions of the Stewardship concept, with little consistency in usage. Copyright © 2015 IMD – International Institute for Management Development and Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development

Dec 31, 2015

Introducing stewardship

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Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development

Jan 02, 2015

How can a business thrive and sustain growth while enhancing the wealth of its stakeholders and the well-being of the societies in which it operates? Jointly developed by SAC and IMD and principally authored by Didier Cossin (IMD and SAC), Sophie Coughlan (IMD) and Ong Boon Hwee (SAC), this paper puts together a definition of stewardship for businesses.

尽责治理

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由亚洲尽责治理研究院和瑞士洛桑管理发展学院共同开发，主要撰稿人为：迪迭 .考桑 (亚洲尽责治理研究院与瑞士洛桑管理发展学院) 丶 Sophie Coughlan （瑞士洛桑管理发展学院）和王文辉（亚洲尽责治理研究院） 企业如何才能茁壮成长并保持发展势头,同时为利益相关者创造更多利益,并从长远上造福其运营业务所在的社会?

Jan 01, 2015

由亚洲尽责治理研究院和瑞士洛桑管理发展学院共同开发，主要撰稿人为：迪迭 .考桑 (亚洲尽责治理研究院与瑞士洛桑管理发展学院) 丶 Sophie Coughlan （瑞士洛桑管理发展学院）和王文辉（亚洲尽责治理研究院）

企业如何才能茁壮成长并保持发展势头,同时为利益相关者创造更多利益,并从长远上造福其运营业务所在的社会?

	Sep 27, 2022 CDL's stewardship journey: The significance of "conserve as we construct" in the real estate sector Esther An Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited Companies that refuse to acknowledge that climate and social risks are business and investment risks may lose funding from banks and investors in the long run. So, how can a business integrate sustainability into its strategy? A Stewardship Commons Article
	Aug 30, 2022 Sustainability trends in the built environment Esther An Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited City Developments Limited's community-focused initiatives: The Singapore Sustainability Academy, CDL Green Gallery and My Tree House. A Stewardship Commons Article
	Aug 26, 2022 How a tiny insect is helping to heal our farmlands Sean Tan CEO, Insect Feed Technologies Population explosion and waste have exacerbated our global food crisis. But Insect Food Technologies would like to kickstart a solution with the Black Soldier Fly. A Stewardship Commons Article
	Aug 25, 2022 Global collaboration is essential to solve modern food crises Katie Chen European Climate Pact Ambassador, European Commission In the era of globalisation, no country can survive alone. A Stewardship Commons Article
	Aug 24, 2022 How building trust among employees is crucial during crises Jesher Loi Director of Branding and Market Development, Ya Kun International Pte Ltd For Singapore-based F&B operator Ya Kun, riding out the pandemic means communicating trust and solidarity. A Stewardship Commons Article
	Jul 25, 2022 Charting the course of stewardship: from philosophy to principles to practices Bey Soo Khiang Vice-Chairman, RGE "There are many paths to sustainable business success, and organisations need a stewardship framework to guide their decision-making." A Stewardship Commons Article
	Jun 29, 2022 Why steward leadership is important as businesses take on the ESG challenge Stewardship Asia Centre Steward leadership is vital to ensure the integrity of ESG actions. While initiatives such as green finance, regulation and reporting, and incentives are critical, unwavering steward leadership is the underlying force required in the implementation of ESG measures to save Planet Earth and humanity.
	Jun 22, 2022 Fixing food through constant innovation Fengru Lin CEO & Co-founder, TurtleTree Successive generations of technology have promised to resolve food’s biggest challenges, but Food Intelligence could provide a solution once and for all. A Stewardship Commons Article
	Jun 17, 2022 J.P. Morgan Asset Management: Continual engagement strategies J.P. Morgan Asset Management “Generally, it can take several years before our engagements yield tangible results; we expect an engagement timeframe of about three years before our milestones are achieved.”
	Jun 17, 2022 The Global Commons Stewardship Framework Prof Naoko Ishii Director, Center for Global Commons, The University of Tokyo Countries’ impacts on the global commons should not be calculated in silos. The Center for Global Commons has developed an actionable, science-based approach towards safeguarding the global commons. A Stewardship Commons Article
	Jun 09, 2022 Is the cellular agriculture industry a bubble waiting to burst? HonMun Yip Executive Vice President, TurtleTree With actual scalable production and revenue generation still an open question for many cellular agriculture companies, the question lingers: is cellular agriculture actually a feasible solution for society? A Stewardship Commons Article
	Jun 08, 2022 How boutique asset managers can leverage collective action Manish Tibrewal CEO, Maitri Asset Management There is strength in numbers, and boutique and focused asset managers may draw on collective action to mitigate the lack of leverage in influencing investee companies on ESG initiatives.
	Jun 06, 2022 Fostering steward leadership as a winning formula for companies, employees and society Lee Su Shyan Associate Editor, The Straits Times Proponents of steward leadership, such as Mr Jeremy Schwartz and Mr Girish Ramachandran encourage companies to create a better future.
	Jun 06, 2022 The shift towards stakeholder capitalism requires genuine goals and values Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Metric-based frameworks for measuring environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals should be balanced with stewardship values in order to bring about optimal outcomes.
	Jun 06, 2022 Data governance is more than just rules and best practices Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre While ethical companies will be transparent about how they collect and use the data, some others do so without the consumer’s permission and even awareness. Businesses need to be responsible stewards of data. But what is steward leadership?
	May 23, 2022 Driving ESG stewardship in Asia and beyond Kavickumar Muruganathan Teaching Faculty Member, National University of Singapore College of Design & Environment Asia's diverse culture and heterogeneity have not slowed its ESG adoption as the region aligns with international frameworks. A Stewardship Commons Article
	May 06, 2022 Tripartism in Singapore: A steward leadership approach to crisis management (COVID-19 case study) Stewardship Asia Centre's Cherine Ang; Tripartite Collective This report explores how Singapore harnessed tripartism to navigate the COVID-19 crisis. It bolsters the 2020 report by providing an additional case study on the importance of tripartism and steward leadership during times of crisis.
	Apr 14, 2022 Responsible investment: Why Singapore opts for trust Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre A set of principles guiding institutional investors to be good stewards is being updated. One aspect is that the principles remain voluntary, preferring a trust-based approach. What are the pros and cons?
	Apr 05, 2022 Becoming a consequential investor Munib Madni Founding Panvestor & CEO, Panarchy Partners “The best way to measure your investing success is not by whether you are beating the market but by whether you have put in place a financial plan and behavioural discipline that are likely to get to where you want to go.” – Benjamin Graham A Stewardship Commons Article
	Apr 05, 2022 Brewing opportunities for the disabled a cup at a time Lim Wei Jie Co-founder, Foreword Coffee Roasters A different take on return on investment and a problem-solving approach based on creativity, empathy and patience A Stewardship Commons Article
	Jan 18, 2022 Navigating a resilient commons through stewardship Annisah Smith, Jane Ang Senior Research and Advocacy Manager, Engagement Senior Officer, Stewardship Asia Centre Stewardship Asia Centre’s second iteration of Stewardship Commons, held in conjunction with Temasek’s Ecosperity Week 2021, gathered more than 50 business leaders and professionals to discuss limiting the impact of business activities on our global commons. Themed “Navigating a Resilient Commons,” this paper explains how both resources can support cross-sectoral efforts across Asia to mitigate and manage our global environmental impact.
	Dec 02, 2021 Why steward leadership matters when startups dress to impress Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Steward leaders create value by integrating the needs of different kinds of stakeholders.
	Nov 08, 2021 The purpose-driven organisation: Five things purpose pundits may be getting wrong Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Isn’t it great news that companies want to be purpose-driven? The customer, consumer and society at large will benefit, will it not? Yes and NO. More organisations are getting it wrong than getting it right. And the purpose pundits are not helping. If you really want your organisation to be purpose-driven, there are a few important factors to consider.
	Oct 19, 2021 Sustainability: Soulful or shameful? Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Many countries are now enforcing stiff regulations for environmental sustainability, for which reporting is mandatory. And younger generations are demanding responsible behaviour from business leaders. These young but highly informed consumers are willing to shun products and services that are not environmentally or socially responsible. So, some businesses are responding by showcasing sustainability efforts that are not genuine. Rajeev Peshawaria breaks down the five C-Suite personas when it comes to sustainability action.
	Oct 04, 2021 Boss to leader to steward leader: Three stages of leadership maturity Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre In our world today, leaders must look beyond just having the correct values, but also the perspective to create a collective better future for all. In this article, SAC's CEO Rajeev Peshawaria outlines the three stages of leadership maturity, from a boss to a leader and finally to a steward leader, and explains the differences between the three. What type of leader are you?
	Sep 24, 2021 Profit with purpose: The key to building sustainable businesses Prof Arnoud De Meyer Chairman, Stewardship Asia Centre, and Professor Emeritus, Singapore Management University Keynote speech by Professor Arnoud De Meyer for SMU’s Business Families Institute (BFI@SMU) event, "Building a Sustainable World — The Role Business Families Can Play." The virtual conference was held on 16 September 2021 in partnership with knowledge partner Federated Hermes which set up the world’s first SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) Engagement Fund.
	Jul 15, 2021 Mind the trust gap: How does a company develop consumer trust through data stewardship? Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Now more than ever, consumers want to engage only with companies they trust. How does one develop trust through data stewardship?
	Jun 28, 2021 A stakeholder-inclusive approach is crucial for Big Oil's future Chow Jau Loong Senior Research Assistant, Stewardship Asia Centre ExxonMobil's and TotalEnergies' different strategies on climate change show that an inclusive stewardship approach helps to future-proof company performance and build resilience.
	May 14, 2021 Steward leadership: A win-win-win model for the post-pandemic business landscape Rajeev Peshawaria, Dr Yancy Toh CEO, Head of Research, Stewardship Asia Centre In this article first published in the Asian Management Insights (AMI) by the SMU Centre for Management Practice, Dr Yancy Toh (Head of Research, SAC) and Rajeev Peshawaria (CEO, SAC) offer their views on:
	Dec 15, 2020 Long-term ownership and value creation: A discussion paper Stewardship Asia Centre Chow Jau Loong, Dr Yancy Toh, Ong Boon Hwee The corporate world has long revolved around shareholder primacy. This has contributed towards short‑term thinking in the bid to outperform the market and secure quick investment gains. How can long-term owners steward their organisations for long-term value creation? This paper hopes to inspire long-term owners to cultivate a stewardship mindset that is quintessential for the continued success of businesses and the holistic well-being of the society.
	Oct 01, 2020 Stewardship: The core compass of enduring organisations Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Why do some leaders fail epically while others succeed spectacularly? SAC's CEO Rajeev Peshawaria explains how steward leadership mindset is the needed core compass for leaders to succeed and be a force of good behind their organisations.
	Oct 01, 2020 Stewardship: The core compass of real leaders Rajeev Peshawaria CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre Why do some leaders fail epically while others succeed spectacularly? SAC's CEO Rajeev Peshawaria explains why real leaders need steward leadership to succeed and be a force for good in their organisations.
	Aug 19, 2020 Tripartism in Singapore: A stewardship journey Stewardship Asia Centre Cherine Ang, Dr Yancy Toh, Ong Boon Hwee Drawing insights from literature review and discussions with over a dozen leaders from the government, employer groups and trade unions who are active participants in tripartite engagement, this report illustrates the synergistic roles between the state, business employers and employees in fostering an enduring culture of corporate stewardship for equitable and sustainable growth.
	Jul 29, 2020 From vision to commitment: Stewardship transformation insights from Banyan Tree Stewardship Asia Centre The tourism industry has suffered tremendously due to COVID-19. In Part One of an exclusive interview with Claire Chiang, co-founder and senior vice president of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, and chairperson of Banyan Tree Global Foundation, Claire shares key learnings and practical insights on how businesses can and must transform to emerge stronger.
	Jun 17, 2020 “We are in this together”: The stewardship mindset guiding Ya Kun through COVID-19 Stewardship Asia Centre The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has dealt the global economy a significant blow. We sat down — remotely — with Jesher Loi, Ya Kun’s Director of Branding and Market Development, and next generation leader, to understand what guides Ya Kun’s response in these challenging times.
	Jun 15, 2020 Understanding corporate stewardship, governance and sustainability: A landscape study Stewardship Asia Centre, Centre for Business Sustainability (Nanyang Business School), Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode This report seeks to develop a framework to understand the nexus between corporate stewardship, sustainability and governance. It aims to establish and contribute to a body of knowledge surrounding the concept and practice of corporate stewardship, and to develop a clearer understanding of its nexus to the concepts and practice of corporate sustainability and governance.
	Jun 12, 2020 Stewardship in crisis: Business insights around the region Stewardship Asia Centre, Telos Partners With businesses in various stages of recovery, Stewardship Asia Centre and Telos Partners co-hosted a webinar to explore the relevance of corporate stewardship in navigating this existential crisis, and how stewardship helps businesses reboot for resilience and renewal and take control for sustained and responsible growth. Read the insights from the webinar.
	May 31, 2020 Investor stewardship: Facing the COVID-19 test Chow Jau Loong Senior Research Assistant, Stewardship Asia Centre Amidst this tremendous disruption, investors as always occupy an important position in the business landscape, and have a critical responsibility in the evolving situation. How investors respond and work together along the entire value chain to safeguard the viability of our wealth creation system will not only influence the ability of businesses to survive, but also to recover and thrive. As an investor, how do you execute your responsibility as a trustee of funds in these tumultuous times?
	May 31, 2020 Stewardship in crisis Ong Boon Hwee Stewardship Asia Centre COVID-19 has dealt the world a severe double whammy – a pandemic and its consequential economic crisis. Economies and businesses alike, in varied ways and degrees, are encountering an existential crisis. In this context, beyond pondering about wealth creation at an inflexion point, it is pertinent to ask: how is stewardship relevant, and in what ways are stewardship actions important to business organisations and leaders under the circumstances?
	May 30, 2020 Business facing up to COVID-19: Synergising stewardship, governance and sustainability Annisah Smith Research and Advocacy Manager, Stewardship Asia Centre The COVID-19 crisis, while unprecedented, has simply amplified the weakest links in business activities during these volatile times. Now, as organisations shift gears and move towards recovery, at the heart of an ambiguous future lies the questions: to whom, or to what, are organisations responsible? And what should a company’s focus be when paving the way for sustainable growth beyond the crisis?
	May 15, 2020 Family businesses: Overcoming COVID-19 crisis by enhancing psychological ownership Veena Nair Senior Research Editor, Stewardship Asia Centre How family business firms react to the COVID-19 crisis will determine their future growth and survival as well as the legacy they will leave. Now more than ever, family business owners need to cultivate resilience and re-evaluate their long-term strategies with a stewardship lens to survive and thrive. A key strategy to achieve this is to cultivate a sense of psychological ownership. The key question is: How do we make an intangible yet vital attribute like psychological ownership more tangible and harness it as a lynchpin in this dire climate?
	Oct 01, 2019 ENTRUSTED: Stewardship for Responsible Wealth Creation Ong Boon Hwee, Mark Goyder Stewardship Asia Centre, Tomorrow's Company ENTRUSTED, the second book from Stewardship Asia Centre, will help business leaders understand the key stewardship concepts and elements, redefine what business success should look like, and gear up for the transformational shift required to build organisations that focus on long-term success of the company as well as future value creation for society and future generations.
	Jun 06, 2019 Stewarding our global commons: An urgent call for action (Stewardship Commons 2019 insights) Stewardship Asia Centre This report distils the sharing from the inaugural Stewardship Commons 2019 session and adds additional insights to complement the conversation on how companies can act on their obligation to steward our global commons.
	Jun 04, 2019 Stewardship Asia Roundtable 2019 insights Stewardship Asia Centre On 4 June 2019, 200 business leaders from 135 organisations came to discover the future of business with stewardship. With 45 percent new attendees this year, the topic of stewardship continues to gain traction among business leaders and organisations.
	Jan 31, 2019 Ethics, accountability and stewardship in social service organisations Stewardship Asia Centre This book chapter is published in the Centre for Social Development Asia's "Doing Good in Singapore Part 1: Adapting for the Future," edited by Isabel Sim, Alfred Loh and Teo Chee Khiang. This chapter discusses the significance of ethics, accountability and stewardship, and their application to Singapore’s social service organisations (SSOrgs). It provides SSOrgs with a framework to operationalise ethics, accountability and stewardship, aimed at improving service delivery in the social service sector.
	Sep 13, 2018 Stewardship principles for family businesses Stewardship Asia Centre Fostering Success, Significance and Sustainability The "Stewardship Principles for Family Businesses" is a guide intended to help family businesses across (and beyond) Asia to focus on stewardship. These broad principles aim to articulate the mindset and attitudes, as well as the behaviours and practices that would foster the success, significance and sustainability for family businesses.
	Jun 04, 2018 Stewardship Asia Roundtable 2018 insights Stewardship Asia Centre On 4 June 2018, the Stewardship Asia Roundtable brought together 210 participants from 138 organisations across 20 countries to exchange perspectives on stewardship. Held in conjunction with the Temasek cluster of sustainability and stewardship events, the three-hour forum saw engaging exchanges amongst business leaders, policymakers, regulators, investors and academics.
	Jun 30, 2017 The 7 traits of enduring family businesses Stewardship Asia Centre Key Factors for Effective Steward Leadership in Business A survey of 200 successful and enduring family businesses reveals the seven leadership and organisational traits that could serve as a model for stewardship. The insights help pave the way for future stewardship research and inform on the traits that have enabled businesses to achieve long-term wealth creation.
	Jun 06, 2017 Stewardship Asia Roundtable 2017 insights Stewardship Asia Centre On 6 June 2017, the third Stewardship Asia Roundtable brought together 202 participants from 154 organisations across 22 countries. Themed “Enduring Principles in Changing Times," the Roundtable was held in conjunction with the Temasek cluster of sustainability and stewardship events for the first time. This report summarises the highlights of the conversation and the insights that were surfaced.
	Nov 30, 2016 Singapore Stewardship Principles for Responsible Investors Stewardship Asia Centre The Singapore Stewardship Principles (SSP) for Responsible Investors are intended to enhance a positive investment environment by encouraging companies to pursue the spirit of good governance and stewardship, with the ultimate objective of helping companies secure their performance over the long term.
	Aug 17, 2016 Stewardship Asia Roundtable 2016 insights Stewardship Asia Centre On 17 August 2016, the Stewardship Asia Roundtable brought together 142 participants from diverse organisations across 18 countries. Business leaders, policymakers, regulators, investors, asset owners, board, management and even some professors gathered to share and discuss their perspectives and experiences of stewardship in a unique, engaging forum format that encouraged all participants to contribute their observations crisply and freely. This report summarises the highlights of the discussion and the insights gleaned from Stewardship Asia Roundtable 2016.
	Jun 27, 2016 Inspiring Stewardship Ong Boon Hwee, Didier Cossin Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development "Inspiring Stewardship," co-authored by Ong Boon Hwee, CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre, and Didier Cossin, Professor and Director of IMD Global Board Center, examines a range of exceptional individual and organisational examples of stewardship, as well as insights gleaned from two innovative quantitative studies. This book will help to unlock the contribution business leaders can make today to enhance their influence and to secure their legacy over time.
	Jun 11, 2016 Steward leadership: Perspectives from Vietnam Stewardship Asia Centre. Business School of the National Economics University of Vietnam In partnership with the Business School of the National Economics University of Vietnam The concept of stewardship has been present in many Asian cultures for a long time, but is difficult to discuss as no direct definition exists in most Asian languages. In Vietnamese business culture, the analogue for good stewardship is good leadership, and business leaders are considered extremely important in guiding an organisation’s direction.

Esther An

Esther An

Sean Tan

Katie Chen

Jesher Loi

Bey Soo Khiang

Stewardship Asia Centre

Fengru Lin

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Prof Naoko Ishii

HonMun Yip

Manish Tibrewal

Lee Su Shyan

Rajeev Peshawaria

Rajeev Peshawaria

Kavickumar Muruganathan

Stewardship Asia Centre's Cherine Ang; Tripartite Collective

Rajeev Peshawaria

Munib Madni

Lim Wei Jie

Annisah Smith, Jane Ang

Rajeev Peshawaria

Rajeev Peshawaria

Rajeev Peshawaria

Rajeev Peshawaria

Prof Arnoud De Meyer

Rajeev Peshawaria

Chow Jau Loong

Rajeev Peshawaria, Dr Yancy Toh

Stewardship Asia Centre

Rajeev Peshawaria

Rajeev Peshawaria

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre, Centre for Business Sustainability (Nanyang Business School), Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

Stewardship Asia Centre, Telos Partners

Chow Jau Loong

Ong Boon Hwee

Annisah Smith

Veena Nair

Ong Boon Hwee, Mark Goyder

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Stewardship Asia Centre

Ong Boon Hwee, Didier Cossin

Stewardship Asia Centre. Business School of the National Economics University of Vietnam

Stewardship: Fostering responsible long-term wealth creation

Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development

Four perspectives of stewardship

Stewardship Asia Centre

尽责治理的四个观点

Summary of literature: Effective stewardship

Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development

Introducing stewardship

Stewardship Asia Centre, International Institute for Management Development

尽责治理

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