Cascio, Wayne F.
Academy of Management Executive Vol. 18 Issue 1, p. 97-100

The article examines three areas related to board functioning as workgroups, the selection of board members and assessment and feedback regarding board performance. One well-established finding is that a workgroup leader's behavior has important effects on group performance. In the context of effective boards leaders are culture carriers for they model and live the values that shape the behaviors of board members. Monitors and consequences are by no means the sole indicators of workgroup effectiveness. The well-developed body of research findings in the area of personnel selection applies just as well to the selection of board members. Develop a matrix of key areas of expertise needed currently as well as in the future in order for the board to function effectively. Experts estimate that 33 percent of all executive résumés contain inconsistencies ranging from bogus college degrees to invented positions. With respect to performance assessment, it can and should be done at two levels, at the level of the board as a whole and also at the level of the individual. On the other hand, when self-evaluations are combined with feedback from the board chair or lead director in a one-on-one meeting that information can be powerfully effective in maintaining or changing behavior.

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Biggs, Errol L.
Academy of Management Executive Vol. 18 Issue 1, p. 105-107

The article discusses the importance of chief executive officer (CEO) succession planning for corporate success. In a recent survey of public-corporation CEOs conducted by the National Association of Corporate Directors, CEO succession had risen to the second most important issue facing boards of directors. As in the past, one way to avoid the hassle of searching for a new CEO is to have the successor often be an internal candidate already identified and groomed to take over when the current CEO steps aside. The board's role in succession planning comprises several tasks. Although the CEO is the central player in the process, the board should understand this is a joint duty and not one delegated solely to the CEO. Many organizations have found it is beneficial to go outside the organization to look for a new CEO. To minimize the disruption created when a CEO departs unexpectedly, an internal individual can be designated as the acting CEO. No two succession scenarios are identical and therefore a variety of possible conditions may confront the board as it faces the challenge. A primary internal candidate may thus need to be passed over as CEO-designate as part of a bargaining position or in deference to perceived equity with the other entity.

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