Beyond administration: Unveiling the strategic role of company secretaries in corporate governance — A systematic literature review

Download This Article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The strategic role of company secretaries in corporate governance remains underdeveloped in academic discourse, despite their statutory presence and growing influence within board structures (Kakabadse et al., 2014; Tricker, 2019). This paper addresses this gap by systematically reviewing the evolving functions of company secretaries, with particular attention to their technical, commercial, and social attributes. The study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocols, and synthesises findings from 16 peer-reviewed publications spanning from 1993 to 2024. The results indicate a discernible shift in perception — from administrative facilitators to governance professionals who contribute to board effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and strategic communication. These findings are examined through the lenses of agency theory, stakeholders’ theory, resource dependence theory, and signalling theory. The review highlights notable jurisdictional and sectoral differences, particularly between developed and emerging markets, and identifies the increasing relevance of company secretaries in high-regulation industries such as financial services. The study concludes by emphasising the need for institutional empowerment and greater integration of company secretaries into strategic governance processes. This research contributes to the literature by bridging theoretical insights with practical implications, offering valuable guidance for scholars, regulators, and practitioners seeking to enhance governance quality through the expanded utilisation of company secretaries.

Keywords: Company Secretary, Corporate Governance, Systematic Literature Review, Governance Attributes, Regulatory Compliance

Authors’ individual contributions: Conceptualization — M.A.K.; Methodology — M.A.K. and N.A.M.S.; Investigation — M.A.K.; Writing — Original Draft — M.A.K.; Writing — Review & Editing — N.A.M.S., Y.W.L., and F.A.H.; Visualization — M.A.K.; Supervision — N.A.M.S., Y.W.L., and F.A.H.; Project Administration — N.A.M.S.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: G34, M14, M48

Received: 14.03.2025
Revised: 29.05.2025; 18.08.2025
Accepted: 26.08.2025
Published online: 27.08.2025

How to cite this paper: Khalidi, M. A., Mohd Saat, N. A., Lau, Y. W., & Abdul Hamid, F. (2025). Beyond administration: Unveiling the strategic role of company secretaries in corporate governance — A systematic literature review. Corporate Board: Role, Duties and Composition, 21(3), 8–23. https://doi.org/10.22495/cbv21i3art1