The research of Joyce Devilee focusses on the relationship between shareholder rights and the commitment – or lack thereof – of shareholders of listed companies in relationship to the purpose of the company. More specifically, whether or not the current framework of laws and regulations encourages this commitment and whether recommendations for improvement can be made. The research project has its basis in corporate law but will not be limited to legal sources. In order to obtain knowledge about what shareholders should be committed to, insights from business history will be obtained. In order to gain a better understanding of factors that promote commitment, insights from social psychology will be studied.