Are Boards Designed to Fail? The Implausibility of Effective Board Monitoring Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2016 Academy of Management. Abstract: In this review, we challenge the idea that directors are well positioned to be effective monitors of management. Moving beyond the logic of incentives and ability, we conceptualize a model based on the premise of boards as groups of individuals obtaining, processing and sharing information and explain how variation in information-processing demands at the director, board and firm level may challenge effective monitoring. We draw on multiple theoretical perspectives to identify these barriers to effective board monitoring. Our goal in reviewing these barriers is to help us take stock of existing research in corporate governance and to better explain board behavior beyond traditional agency and resource dependency accounts. We also aim to uncover gaps in the conceptual and empirical research and suggest areas of fruitful future research.

published proceedings

  • ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT ANNALS

altmetric score

  • 90

author list (cited authors)

  • Boivie, S., Bednar, M. K., Aguilera, R. V., & Andrus, J. L.

citation count

  • 128

complete list of authors

  • Boivie, Steven||Bednar, Michael K||Aguilera, Ruth V||Andrus, Joel L

publication date

  • January 2016