What board chairs really do

1
What board chairs really do

• Alan Hough

2
About the research

• 5 organisations, observed between 12 and 14
  months
• 65 board meetings observed
• 66 interviews with 55 directors
• Agenda papers and other board documents
• Processual or ethnographic approach

3
About the case organisations

• All 5 from a sub-sector of the Queensland
  community services sector
• Population 100,000 lt 1.7 million
• Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo

4
Dedication of the thesis

• To the men and women of the five boards who
  participated in this research, who are working to
  make the world a better place
• To John B. Reid, AO
• Philanthropist, director and commentator on
  governance

5
Alice of Alpha

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• The importance of consumer involvement
• The board
• About Alice
• Normative and theoretical implications

6

• I think sometimes we have too high expectations
  on us in terms of achieving certain things and
  forget about all the other things that we do
  well
• I havent been on too many boards so Im
  interested in Alan in if you do have directors
  having input without undue influence I mean,
  were there, we meet what once a month. In
  some ways I think its a bit being like a
  figurehead really. I mean yes you do work, but
  I think youre more figure heads I think the
  CEO is actually the main driver or the primary
  driver of the organisation

7
Alice of Alpha

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• The importance of consumer involvement
• The board
• About Alice
• Normative and theoretical implications

8
Brenda of Bravo

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• The challenge of engaging directors
• The board
• About Brenda
• Normative and theoretical implications

9

• The board had kept on track with our goals and
  aims

10
Brenda of Bravo

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• The challenge of engaging directors
• The board
• About Brenda
• Normative and theoretical implications

11
Charlotte of Charlie

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• Having taken a back seat, moving to the drivers
  seat
• The board
• About Charlie
• Normative and theoretical implications

12
Charlotte of Charlie

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• Having taken a back seat, moving to the drivers
  seat
• The board
• About Charlie
• Normative and theoretical implications

13

• My responsibilities involve
• chairing more than anything else

14
Charlotte of Charlie

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• Having taken a back seat, moving to the drivers
  seat
• The board
• About Charlie
• Normative and theoretical implications

15
Deborah of Delta

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• Understanding and influence by being
  well-connected
• The board
• About Deborah
• Normative and theoretical implications

16

• If you have no sense of your own spirit youre
  not working for Delta, youre not volunteering
  there.
• My extensive involvement reflects the way I do
  things I suppose

17
Deborah of Delta

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• Understanding and influence by being
  well-connected
• The board
• About Deborah
• Normative and theoretical implications

18
Flo of Echo

• The organisation
• Theme of the case
• The importance of consumer involvement
• The board
• About Flo
• Normative and theoretical implications

19

• There was little point in imagining an ideal set
  of board members and what their skills might be
  as that would be complete pie in the sky.

20
What do board chairs really do?

• A lot, or a little
• A variety of roles
• Determinants of how much they do
• Those with the greatest impact had demonstrated
  vision, worked hard for their organisations, and
  had good chairing skills