Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
2-2021
Abstract
A key role of board directors is to govern corporate strategy. Whereas prior research has provided insights into board roles and activities regarding board governance, the underlying capabilities required to govern effectively remain understudied. This article explores and explicates a capability-based view of board actions in which the specific capabilities that enable boards to govern strategic activities are identified. We specifically examine the conceptual foundations and different types of board capabilities, drawing on illustrative cases as well as information from interviews with board directors in the United States, Asia, and Europe. We then discuss several future research directions that can enrich our understanding of the effects of board capabilities on board governance. This article introduces a fine-grained perspective on board governance that examines the individual director, interpersonal, and board levels. By highlighting the need to build the foundation of governance capabilities at multiple levels, we extend our understanding of the compositional challenges for boards and their governance.
Keywords
board of director, board capabilities
Discipline
Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Strategic Management Policy
Research Areas
Strategy and Organisation
Publication
Academy of Management Perspectives
Volume
35
Issue
1
First Page
123
Last Page
141
ISSN
1558-9080
Identifier
10.5465/amp.2017.0030
Publisher
Academy of Management
Citation
KLARNER, Patricia; YOSHIKAWA, Toru; and HIIT, Michael.
A capability-based view of boards: A new conceptual framework for board governance. (2021). Academy of Management Perspectives. 35, (1), 123-141.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5948
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2017.0030
Included in
Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons, Strategic Management Policy Commons