Despite the proliferation of systematic literature review studies on cooperative organization, a similar review of cooperative governance and performance literature has yet to be conducted. To close this gap, this paper presents a systematic literature review on the relationship between cooperative governance (CG) and cooperative performance using the PRISMA approach. Major search engines were used in the compilation of studies published between 2009 and 2021. A review of the 30 selected papers indicate there are four categories of CG used in relation to cooperative performance: board characteristics, policy compliance, management, leadership and strategies, and the board’s social or human capital. The results also suggest mixed and inconclusive findings on the CG–cooperative performance relationship. The current study seeks to contribute to the existing literature by highlighting patterns and gaps of past studies on the CG–cooperative performance relationship, thereby providing insights for future research.

Corporate reputation is companies’ most valuable asset as it can position them to gain competitive advantages that lead to sustainable performance. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence corporate reputation is vital for a company’s survival. The study objectives were to investigate the effects of corporate governance and the quality of environmental and social reporting on corporate reputation. Additionally, this study examined the role of environmental and social reporting quality on the relationship between these two variables. This study used secondary data collected from multiple sources such as the Thomson Data Stream database and annual reports of publicly listed Malaysian companies between 2017 and 2018. The results showed that corporate governance effectiveness and environmental and social reporting quality positively influence corporate reputation. Additionally, the quality of environmental and social reporting mediates the relationship between corporate governance and corporate reputation. This study bridges research gaps by providing evidence for the impact of effective corporate governance, specifically board diversity, on corporate reputation in Malaysia. The findings can help companies to establish criteria and qualifications for the appointment of new board members. The members must have the right combination of skills, knowledge, experience and independent elements that enable them to make decisions to meet companies’ objectives.