4.5.6 Early and on-site information, access to lower management:• differente between two-tier and one-tier boards

One of the worries of Dutch supervisory board members at present is the quality and timeliness of the information they receive.1 In a two-tier board supervisory board members only approve and do not take part in the decision making process. After all, in the case of a two-tier board supervisory board members do not have access to lower level managers or visit their operations.

In the case of a one-tier board, by contrast, non-executive directors have earlier and easier access to lower management and on-site information. Here there are elements of US and UK corporate governance that could be followed by Dutch companies.2 There is no legal obstacle, even under the present two-tier system, that would prevent supervisory board members from insisting on receiving relevant information in good time and being able to make on-site visits. There is a connection between receiving early and on-site information and participating in strategy development.