Manuscript Type Empirical Research Question/Issue Several studies have investigated the antecedents of board tasks but there are disagreements about the number of tasks, their content and how they are operationalized. Moreover, the question of how board tasks evolve is under‐researched. This study seeks to map the patterns of board tasks over time and the contingent conditions under which they evolve. Research Findings/Insights By means of a longitudinal observation study of six UK boards, this study shows how board task profiles can be categorized according to (1) the range of tasks boards engage with, (2) the degree and mode of adaptability of board tasks to changing strategic contexts, and (c) the extent to which boards are passive. Theoretical/Academic Implications Traditional governance theories such as agency and resource‐dependency perspectives provide insights to the content of board tasks, but do not explain how and why these tasks change. Combining traditional conceptualizations of board tasks with a process‐based theoretical lens offers new insights into board tasks and how effectively they are performed. Practitioner/Policy Implications The results show how boards can better structure their activities to make effective use of scarce meeting time. Activities such as dissemination of information should be curtailed to leave more room for board debate on strategic issues. The study also highlights how board evaluations may benefit from having a “fly‐on‐the‐wall” observer.

corporate governance, ethical theories, feminist ethics,

Concerns have been raised about the finance of football clubs in England and elsewhere. With the increasing realisation that football is a business, and therefore should be treated as one, the question of whether issues of corporate governance are applicable and relevant to the sports/football context needs closer scrutiny. This research firstly details current theories of corporate governance and proceeds with an examination of their limitations as approaches in the sports and specifically the football context. This paper delineates the characteristics and specific peculiarities of the sports sector, specifically football, and argues the challenges of corporate governance in sports are substantially different from conventional business as to require different approaches and mechanisms for corporate governance.

Family businesses and business families existed long before the genesis of historians and economists. In most economies, family business is estimated to represent over two-thirds of all enterprises and accounts for about half of the economic activity and private employment contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Over the last two decades, family business studies have gathered momentum, which is reflected not only in terms of the number of published papers and publication outlets, but also in research support provided by agents and foundations. This article proffers researchers and practitioners empirical evidence of variations in financial performance of family businesses mastered by different generations.The article commences with a literature review of theories associated with business performance and family business governance, for example, agency theory, altruism and business lifecycle. This is followed by a description of the research methods adopted in this study. Statistical analyses are then conducted in two phases. Phase A employs univariate analyses to depict business demographic features. Phase B further investigates the differences of financial performance between family businesses marshalled by owner-managers in different generations. In summary, the article concludes with a set of tentative recommendations. It is anticipated that this study will bring to the surface the debate on issues surrounding the practice of family business management and widen awareness of the critical factors shaping business performance.

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