The audit pillar refers to the financial filling manner of a company while the board pillar refers to the directors’ composition and compensation. The shareholder rights pillar means the hostile takeover restrictions. Last but not least, the compensation pillar means whether it is aligned with performance and the power of shareholders in setting it and how well it is being disclosed.
Talking about the corporate governance structure of Alibaba Group Holdings Limited, it could be first looking into the Board of Directors’ and its special “Partnership System” of Alibaba Group.
Alibaba was founded in 1999 by Former English Teacher, Jack Ma, and his associates and it is nowadays the world’s largest E-Commerce Company. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company currently handles 80% of China E-Commerce, with transactions of on its sites totaling $248 billion in 2013. * [2014 most up-to-dated figures to be inserted] By the end of third quarter of 2014, Alibaba's total sales reached $555.6 billion, with year-on-year growth of 48.7%. What is more, Alibaba's competition of international retail business is growing fast. In third quarter of 2014, the total sales from international retail business was $0.419 billion, a 17% increase compared with last second quarter.
The company operates several online marketplaces in China, including the Tmall, an Amazon-style online retailer; Taobao, an online auction site similar to eBay; and Juhuasuan, a Chinese version of Groupon. In additions, the company owns Alipay.com, the Chinese equivalent of Paypal; and