 The recent collapse of one of Stonewood Homes' franchisors has placed the conduct of directors squarely in the spotlight once again. The company collapsed owing about $15 million. This article makes the issues plain, and it serves as a warning for other directors. The Companies Act 1993 specifies the duties of directors, including that they must act in the best interests of the company and not allow the company to trade recklessly. That a company collapsed owing such large debt suggests that the company may have been trading near, at or beyond its means for some time. Whether the directors of the collapsed company were negligent or not will be determined in due course, I'm sure. The role of a director carries much responsibility. If you are a director, you must know and understand your duties and responsibilities under the Act, and whether you are discharging them correctly. If you have any doubt, discuss the matter at your next board meeting and seek independent advice from a competent lawyer. Don't forget to ask about related legislation—you may have responsibilities under other pieces of legislation and you may not realise it. An independent governance review, to review the operation of the board as a whole might also be in order, to assess the board's performance especially in relation to value creation. Another consideration is professional development, to ensure all directors are adequately trained and knowledgeable.
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Board diversity and board size are common topics of conversation in governance circles these days. Hardly a week goes by without one or both topics being mentioned. Most commonly people ask about board diversity and the relationship with firm performance, and the 'perfect' board size. Typically, my responses have been "Yes, diversity is good" and "No, there is no such thing as a perfect board size". Beyond that, context kicks in because every board, governance situation and even every decision is, to some extent at least, unique. I have happily shared these responses and offered other supporting commentaries to all who ask—until now. What's changed? This article has set me thinking. Here are some insights that bear further consideration:
So, food for thought. The article was published by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania—not by some backyard consultant or agency trying to sell services. This means we can rely on the commentary. While it may or may not be 'right', it certainly has substance. I would love to hear what you think about these matters after you have read the article and pondered the ideas and suggestions.
Much has been written in recent years about the governance of organisations, boards and directors. Many different views have been expressed. With it, different understandings of the function of boards have emerged. In some quarters, 'governance' has become a panacea for all manner of organisational ills. Others speak and behave as if the board is a beating stick to 'keep the executive honest'. Relatively few have held true to the original concept (kybernetes: to steer, to guide to pilot). Consequently, it is little wonder that some new board members can be unclear about their role. The task of governance includes decision-making that affects the long-term future of the organisation. In other words, strategy and strategic decision-making. While the plethora of understandings abound, the question of how NEDs and board members ensure they stay strategic remains. I had the honour and privilege of hosting an on-line forum recently to discuss this question. A large community of UK-based board members gather every week to discuss governance matters of interest. A summary of the discussion that I was involved with has been posted here, on Storify. Enjoy! If you have any questions, or want to explore matters further, please get in touch.
One of the enduring challenges that directors face every time they meet together as a board concerns decision-making. How do directors make smart decisions when 1). they often lack crucial information, and 2). the environment is fundamentally both complex and dynamic? The answer lies in the group of directors' (the board's) ability to make decisions, as one. Why so? Legally, the board is a collective of directors. Individual directors make contributions to discussions and debates, but not decisions. It is the board that makes decisions. This transition—from the singular (individual directors, contributions, inputs) to the collective (the board as one whole, decisions, outputs)—occurs when directors meet (i.e., in board meetings, when the board is in session). If the transition is to occur well, all of the directors must be actively engaged their work—working together towards the decision, as one. Group decisions are much harder to make than individual decisions. Reaching agreement can be a minefield, especially if information is missing, trust is low or if directors are more interested (sometimes covertly) in pursuing multiple agendas or representing constituencies rather than acting the best interests of the company (as the law requires). How can boards get past this challenge, to make effective decisions on a reasonably consistent basis? Recently, CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant, a joint-venture between AICPA and CIMA) tackled this question head on. Their report has just been released. You can read a copy of the executive summary here, or the full report here. The authors make eight key recommendations for effective group decision-making:
I commend this report to you, especially if effective decision-making has been a challenge for your board over the past year or so. Share it with your board colleagues and ask the chairman to schedule a discussion at an upcoming board meeting. If nothing else, you'll bring the expectation of effective decision-making out into the open. Or, the board may find that some behaviours or expectations need to be adjusted, and that a formal board review is appropriate. The discussion may also expose some larger but hitherto hidden issues including that the board may not be clear on the purpose or the strategy of the organisation. If this is discovered, some external advice and assistance may be in order. Regardless of the discussion and the outcome, I suspect it will time well spent.
 The much storied Yahoo Inc. continues to consume column inches (or, pixels if you consume your news online). From bold beginnings, Yahoo has endured a mixed career as an Internet search engine business. Current chief Marissa Mayer has had her fair share of headlines as well, including some stinging criticisms over some of her management decisions. Now, with a proxy fight looming, Yahoo has issued this release, which has been reported by Ronald Brausch on Dealpolitik (and no doubt others). The release and associated commentaries make interesting reading, especially for students of corporate governance, strategic management and firm performance: For example, the release implies that ownership of the new strategic plan lies with the CEO. Consider these two statements:
These statements raise a really interesting question. They imply that control lies with management. Does ultimate responsibility for firm performance not lie with the board of directors? Why has the board chosen to stand a little aloof from this? Are these statements simply examples of sloppy copywriting within Yahoo and on Brausch's part, or does control over the company strategy actually lie with the CEO? While I have no doubt that some investors are keen to gain partial or complete control of the company (as Brausch reports), the commentary suggests that a more pressing challenge needs to be addressed if Yahoo is to become great again. The question of whether the board or the CEO is calling the shots and, therefore, is actually in control needs to be resolved, and quickly.
A word of warning for business leaders and academics invited to speak at conferences run by an organisation called WASET (World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology): Give the organisation a wide berth. WASET appears to be a genuine organisation that runs conferences but, if the many comments on the Internet are any guide, the conferences are a front for a scam of some sort. I nearly got caught out. In early January, I responded to an invitation to submit an abstract for consideration at the 15th International Conference on Corporate Governance in Singapore. (I had been looking for a suitable conference to share an important aspect of my research on corporate governance and strategic management. The conference seemed OK, so submitted a half-page abstract.) A few days later, notice of abstract acceptance arrived, together with a request to submit the full paper for review. All good so far. But then... Two emails arrived today. One was an invitation to attend the conference. The other was notice that my paper has been accepted onto the programme—despite no paper having been submitted, much less reviewed! This didn't sound right. A quick search revealed many pages of blog posts and comments from people asking if WASET conferences are a scam, whether the conferences are fake, and other similar questions. The decision to back out came easily. Luckily, no intellectual property or money changed hands.
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Dr. Peter Crow, CMInstD
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