Conferences - Peter Crow | Helping boards govern with impact

Published on: 10 September 2013

On meeting people, and learning from them

One of the things I really enjoy when travelling is meeting people for the first time. My doctoral research journey provides a case in point. It has brought me into contact with many interesting people, including members of the international academic and governance communities. The conversations and experiences that I've been privileged to be part of have helped me gain new insights; form opinions; and, map out the next steps of my journey. The sights and sounds of unfamiliar cities, and the conversations with hotel staff, shopkeepers and other locals, have added context, colour and richness.

When I am in England and Europe in November, to present a paper at ECMLG'13, I hope to continue conversations started in Bangkok back in February; to start new conversations and build new relationships; and crucially, to help others grapple with the demanding topic of how governance can help improve business performance.

If you'd like to join the conversation or arrange a meeting, please contact me, so that we can find a date and time that works best for you. I'm available to meet anyone, anywhere.

Published on: 7 September 2013

European tour: available to speak or consult in Nov'13

Are you based in the UK or Europe, and do you need any assistance with governance or strategy? I will be presenting a paper at ECMLG'13 (European Conference on Management Leadership and Governance) in November. As the itinerary has me arriving in London the weekend before the conference, I have some time available for other meetings or speaking engagements, as follows:

Sunday 10 November: arrive in London
Monday 11 November: available
Tuesday 12 November: available
Wednesday 13 November: travel to Klagenfurt, Austria
Thursday 14 November: ECMLG'13
Friday 15 November: ECMLG'13
Monday 18 November: available
Tuesday 19 November: depart

If you would like to me to meet with you and your colleagues, or speak (in London or any other capital city), please contact me to let me know how I can help.

Published on: 16 June 2013

On redefining success

Periodically, the topic of success appears in my musings. As recently as yesterday for example, I wrote about core purpose and values—in tandem—as being crucial to achieving high performance and, by implication, success. But what is success? How do you define it?

For eons, most Western cultures have defined success extrinsically—by what others have, what others think about us, or what we think others might think. Money and power are the benchmarks of success in any society founded on accumulation. You know the story: the more people have the more they want—all in the name of so-called success—and so the bandwagon rolls on.

I have long thought that extrinsic ambition is hollow and fraught with danger, because the price one has to pay to be successful in monetary or power terms only spirals one way—upward and, inevitably, out of control. Thankfully, calls to redefine success are starting to emerge. I hope such calls are heeded, lest our society simply collapses around us. And we wouldn't want that, would we?

Published on: 7 May 2013

Time to "come out"...

Over the past few months, I have been quietly testing some of my doctoral research ideas with a few esteemed members of the academic community. I've also chatted with some practicing directors as well. The discussions have been incredibly valuable, because they have generated a lot of interest and feedback, all of which has enabled me to refine and adjust the research.

On the strength of the feedback received, I have decided that it is time to "come out" as it were; to begin share my ideas with a wider community. To this end, I have submitted a paper abstract to ECMLG 2013. The abstract has just been accepted, so now I need to prepare a paper and start saving to get to Austria in November. How exciting!

And the ideas that have generated the interest? Here's a peek: Much of the governance research to date has involved the statistical analysis of large data sets, resulting in correlations between observable variables and rich descriptions. However, no definitive theories to satisfactorily explain how Boards contribute to performance have been produced. Despite considerable effort, researchers appear to have reached an impasse. A new research agenda in required if progress is to be made—one that moves from the study of isolated variables (structure, composition, behaviours) to the holistic investigation of governance itself. My reading of philosophy has exposed critical realism (CR) as an interesting basis for a new agenda. CR rejects the common view that social phenomena (of which governance is an example) are a mass of separable events or attributes.

When I re-read the literature through a CR lens, several discrete ideas that I've been pondering for some time started to come together into a cohesive picture. It seems that active engagement; an involvement in the development of strategy; and, the making of strategic decisions are somehow potentially significant causal mechanisms that explain how Boards actually contribute to business performance. Next step is data gathering and analysis. If validated, a new theory of governance which explains how Boards contribute to performance will hopefully emerge. Thankfully, I now have a philosophical framework to build upon. Yahoo!

So, there you have it—my ideas out in the open. Sorry if this summary was tough to read and understand! If however, you are interested in governance matters, and particularly in governance research, and would like to chew these ideas through, please post a reply, or contact me directly.

Published on: 22 April 2013

The difference a fortnight makes...

Three weeks ago I was getting a bit grumpy. I'd been battling the rather bureaucratic ethics process for several months and was starting to get worn down. This mandatory component of my doctoral research has taken far longer, and proved to be far more arduous, than expected. I couldn't understand what the problem was, and nor could my supervisors. The research fitted the low-risk criteria and approval was supposed to take two weeks. My supervisors agreed, however the ethics committee saw it differently. In addition, it seemed the committee had no sense of time, with 14 weeks elapsing since the original submission. Apart from continuing to do background reading while I waited, my doctoral research had stalled and I was left twiddling my thumbs.

Then, on 4 April, the email I'd been waiting so long for arrived. The brief note said the research had been approved. Finally! This was just the news I needed, because on 6 April my wife and I were leaving for two weeks holiday, and I certainly didn't want to spend the time away moping about a process I had no control over. Safe in the knowledge that the research had been approved, I read three books (The Beekeeper's Lament, and the two mentioned here) and quite a few governance articles, and relaxed with my wife and her siblings.

Looking back, the holiday came at just the right time. The time away enabled me to get my head back together, knowing that the roadblock I had been powerless to break through had been dealt with. Since getting home, two companies have agreed to participate in my research, with discussions underway with a third. Also, I have written an abstract for the ECMLG 2013 conference in Austria, attended a Board meeting, and moved a house-load of furniture ahead of new carpet being laid this week. It's great to be back on track, having cleared the ethics hurdle. What a difference one brief email—and a fortnight to reflect and recharge—makes!

Published on: 9 February 2013

ICMLG Conference: Post-conference summary

I've just arrived home after a demanding but highly enjoyable trip to attend the ICMLG Conference in Bangkok. On the long flight back to New Zealand I found myself reflecting on the conference overall. Here's a selection of what I wrote down in my notebook:

While diverse in topic, research methodology and scope, the general calibre of papers and presentations was impressive. ACI did a great job pulling together and running the conference.
Input-output research designs and quantitive data sets continue to dominate the research landscape, despite qualitative data and empirical data being more well suited to understanding and explaining social dynamic phenomena (like governance).
The case study approach appears to be gaining ground as a credible methodology for governance and leadership research.
Those researchers who are using qualitative methods are attempting to move from purely descriptive (exploratory) studies towards explanatory studies. (One of my objectives in attending ICMLG was to gain a better understanding of contemporary research methodologies.)
Relatively few researchers are investigating the link between governance and company performance.
I met some wonderful people! The conference was a melting pot of cultures. People from many different nations, religions and cultures were in attendance—a true "global village".

Overall, I learnt a lot and the investment was well worthwhile. ICMLG 2014 will be at Babson College in Boston, Mass. On the strength of this year's conference, expect to see me in Boston in 2014!

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