Written for practitioners, this book is about corporate governance and the role of the board of directors in modern multinational companies.Throughout the world, corporations are experiencing the second major transition in corporate governance of this century. The nature of the relationship between the corporation and the rest of society is changing fundamentally. The corporate board has unique responsibilities during this transition, but as it tries to respond directors are faced with destabilizing paradoxes: resolving who is in control - management or the board, achieving critical judgement while maintaining detachment, and avoiding becoming either a cosy club or a collection of all-stars.This book, based on interviews with 71 directors serving on more than 500 boards in eight countries, shows the nature of the challenges and suggests ways to analyse and confront them. This major international study compares the experiences of board members in Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Venezuela.