Exploring processes in Spanish, German and UK boards: a measurement framework of board know-how, board diversity and directors’ interactions interrelation

Purpose Several empirical attempts have investigated boardroom processes and their impact on the governing team decision-making. Such attempts, however, have derived in inchoate results opening new methodological debates and leaving the underlying patterns of board processes obscure. This paper aims to shed light on these patterns by empirically examining the interrelation among the three central constructs involved in board decision-making: know-how, demographic diversity and directors’ social interactions. Design/methodology/approach A framework of interrelation among know-how, demographic diversity and social interactions was conceptually built and empirically validated with partial least squares structural equation modelling applied to archival data from a sample of 87 boards of directors of Spanish, German and UK listed companies. Findings Results unmask the intricacies of behavioural processes involved in know-how-demography relation: demographic diversity contribution to know-how is totally and positively mediated by directors’ social interactions. This reveals the power of directors’ socialization frequency in determining processes and predicting know-how. Practical implications The paper offers a new pathway to manage board know-how and to make board diversity effective. It also opens a door to an innovative empirical methodology to make board processes emerge, one that overcomes methodological limitations of previous efforts. Originality/value This is so far the only study that examines and measures holistically the structural interrelation among the three central constructs determining board decisions and performance: know-how, diversity and social interactions.

Gendering Corporate Boards and Conditional Effectiveness of Board Processes: Insights from a Sub-Saharan African Country

This study explored how and when female board members make effective contribution to board processes in a sub-Saharan African country (Ghana), a context characterized by low female representation on corporate boards, but highly under-researched with respect to the gender and corporate governance literature. The study is based on interview data from 25 female board directors in Ghana. The results show that women on corporate boards contribute to effective board processes and outcomes when their proposed ideas during board meetings are accepted by other board members, implemented by management and impact positively on organizational outcomes such as enhanced financial, product and staff outcomes. These effective contributions of female board directors to corporate board processes can further be enhanced by suitable female directors’ personal-level conditions such as their human capital (advanced degree and professional qualification, and past board membership experience) and family support (supportive husbands, and having grown up children), as well as board-level conditions like occupying chairperson/leadership position on the board or committees, and regular attendance at board meetings. Consequently, this research study contributed to the gender and corporate governance literature by providing new evidence from under-researched geographical context on how women on corporate boards contribute to effective board processes. It further highlights personal and board-level conditions that are necessary for greater contributions of female directors to corporate board processes and outcomes in male-dominated societies and boards.

Board processes revisited: an exploration of the relationship between board processes, board role performance and board effectiveness in comparable European listed companies

Purpose This study aims to analyse the relationships between board processes, board role performance and board effectiveness for a cross-country (UK and Romania) sample of comparable European listed companies. Design/methodology/approach The research design is quantitative in nature and based on the survey method, a self-administered questionnaire which was send to 342 chairmen of selected Romanian and British listed companies and which contains validated statements measured through a seven-point Likert-type scale and grouped in validated constructs. Findings This study found further empirical evidence that board processes are stronger determinants of board effectiveness than board characteristics and that board roles mediate the relationship between board processes and board effectiveness. It further confirmed the relevance of the three board processes mentioned by Forbes and Milliken (1999) in their seminal work on board decision-making. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is the relatively small number of responses (55), which indicates a reduced reliability and generalizability of the results. However, several steps were taken to assure the homogeneity of the sample, starting with a unique data set of firms of comparable size and industry representation. Practical implications This study is useful to board directors and chairmen of listed companies, as it can help them to better understand and manage board behaviour. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited body of research that investigates specific board process constructs derived from the small team literature and their effect on board effectiveness.

Revolution From Above? Female Directors’ Equality-Related Actions in Organizations

Drawing on interviews with women and men who serve on the supervisory boards of German stock-listed companies, this qualitative study examines why some female directors seek to augment gender equality in their organizations while others do not. Those who take action do so both in formal board processes and in informal settings. A sense of belonging to women as a social group and a sense of responsibility for women in the organization are key factors in explaining why some female directors contribute to gender equality. In addition, the study highlights the relevance of a board culture supportive of gender equality and positive expectations by other organizational members about female directors’ role in advancing gender equality. Board chairs influence how supportive female directors perceive the organizational context to be. Where the organizational context is not seen as supportive, those who take equality-related action anyway are experienced directors. Surprisingly, the presence of other women on the board does not appear to be related to whether or not female directors take action. Examining female directors’ actions and paying close attention to both their identities and their specific organizational settings shows how the interplay between social identity and situational opportunities and constraints affects board behavior.

Women in the Inner Circle: Gender and Director Networks After the Fracturing of the Corporate Elite

Over the past two decades, women have increased their representation among multiboard directors—corporate directors who simultaneously hold seats on two or more firms. Traditionally, multiboard directors exercised greater power and influence in corporate governance. As a consequence, women’s increased representation among this “inner circle” could signal women’s increased influence in corporate governance. However, women’s access to these elite positions comes at a time when multiboard holding has declined. This paper investigates gendered patterns in access to and outcomes of multiboard holding. I argue that these patterns reflect gendered logics in director appointment practices such that firms increasingly recruit and appoint highly boarded female directors, but multiboard women continue to lag in substantive influence in the boardroom. Analyses of nearly two decades of data on S&P 1500 boards demonstrate female directors’ increased access to the corporate inner-circle, but this access is decoupled from increased participation in board committees and interorganizational social influence. I discuss implications for theory on gender tokenism, corporate networks, and board processes.

The role of dyadic interactions between CEOs, chairs and owners in family firm governance

The objective of this case-based study is to understand how the dyadic interaction between the key governance actors can influence the decision-making aimed at directing and controlling a family firm. The study provides evidence that dyadic interaction at the back stage of the formal governance process can offer a privileged position for the family firm owners who serve on the board, and the non-family member Chair of the Board, to influence decision-making before, after and between board meetings. The cases studied suggest that dyadic interactions can serve as preparation for formal board processes and complement and clarify them, yet they also have the potential to conflict with them. Dyadic interaction is also shown to offer important relational and emotional benefits that may not necessarily be achieved through larger group interaction. The findings suggest that although the actors can self-regulate their behaviour through informal rules, the rules may imperfectly address one risk of dyadic interaction—the reduced cognitive conflict among the board.

Enterprise survival in the high-tech community: persuasion and power in board decisions

Purpose This study aims to examine the extent to which board size, the use of power by venture capital investors and entrepreneurs’ interpersonal tactics such as persuasion to sway board decisions, influence the long-term survival of start-ups. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative part is based on data collected from 179 chief executive officers (CEOs) of high-tech start-ups community financed by venture capitalists (VCs) in Israel of which 59 did not survive. To achieve a better understanding of these findings, semi-structured interviews with 12 entrepreneurs were conducted. Findings Smaller boards were positively associated with venture survival. The use of power by VC investors positively influenced start-up survival. CEO persuasion had a negative effect on venture survival; however, its interaction with board size suggests that it had a lesser effect on very small boards. Practical implications Although investors’ control over decision-making contributes to long-term survival, entrepreneurs should be aware of the possible detrimental effects of exercising a high level of persuasion in board processes. The findings also suggest that a small board size is preferable for start-up survival. Originality/value Exploring the effect of board processes on venture survival is considered complex. A unique sample of high-technology start-ups consisting of both surviving and failed start-ups was analyzed to explore the effects of persuasion and power in board processes.

Do Women Directors Impact Financial Outcomes? The Indian Evidence

This article investigates the impact of women directors on financial outcomes—return and risk of Indian companies. It applies fixed and random effects Tobit regressions to examine the effect of female directors on financial outcomes (returns and risk) of the firm, controlling promoters’ shareholding, leverage, firm growth and age, board size and board meetings. The study does not find any support to agency and resource dependence theories because the proportion of women directors in most Indian boards is too small to make much impact. However, it has a moderating influence to reduce variations in accounting profits and stock returns. The investors reward also meeting the regulatory quota of woman member on the boards by higher market returns indicating a signalling effect. The study adds an understanding of quota induced women directors’ influence on the firm’s financial outcomes. However, the regulators should be cautious in mandating induction of women members on the boards as they might be inexperienced or lack the needed grounding to effectively influence board processes.

On the development of the refiner mechanical pulping process – a review

This paper is a review of the development of the mechanical pulping process with focus on refiner-based processes. The intention is to provide an overview of the trends and the major advances in the development of the mechanical pulping (MP) process. The focus is on the development of the entire MP process, rather than the refiner as such. However, when discussing the MP process development, it is inevitable to consider the development of the refiner unit operation briefly. Processes for printing papers based on softwood is mainly discussed, but board processes are discussed briefly as well.

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS IN BRAZIL: LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review and systematize previous studies on boards of directors in Brazil and propose an agenda to guide future studies. Originality/value: A conceptual model is developed to provide an integrated view for research on the board of directors, incorporating variables from different levels that connect governance mechanisms, best practices, board dynamics and company performance; we identified gaps for the research agenda. Design/methodology/approach: This review analyzed 95 articles on boards of directors in Brazil between 2000 and 2019. The review was conducted in three major steps: 1. planning; 2. conducting; and 3. organizing the data and reporting the findings. Findings: There is a growing interest in studying boards of directors in Brazil, with a wide range of topics. The most studied are board composition, best practices, diversity and gender. Despite the diversity, the previous studies are homogeneous in theoretical and methodological terms. Based on the agency theory, most articles sought to relate board demography to financial performance, and the findings are not convergent. This scenario opens up some research avenues to address topics that have not yet been explored, such as board processes, board tasks, and differentiation between board performance and company performance.