The Role of the Chair of the Board for Firm Performance and Value Creation
Global competition, political demands for sustainable development and quests for increased transparency puts a lot on pressure on Swedish business organizations to rethink business models and governance. A review of Swedish and international business magazines shows that the work of the Board is undergoing a major change and that expectations regarding external monitoring and strategic renewal are paired with requirements on skills development and the revitalization of working methods. In this context the role of the Chair has been identified as critical.
Background and research questions:
This project aims at a better understanding of the role of the Chair of the Board for firm performance and value creation. We explore a set of research questions related to; the self-perception of Chair of the Boards in successful companies, how they define their mandates, how they interact with owners’ and the executive team; how skill development within the board is addressed and how working methods are aligned with environmental changes and new political demands.
Research approach:
This study is based on already existing material, namely the Golden Gavel award, instituted by Stiftelsen Guldklubban. The award covers 15 years, starting 2005, and includes public trades companies as well as unlisted companies.
This study will be reported in November 2020.
Further information:
The project is funded by Vinnova with Styrelseakademien in Sweden as a major partner.