Inside the Black Box of the Board: Towards a Global Comparative Model of Board Effectiveness for Listed Companies

Abstract

This conceptual research seeks to develop a global comparable model of board effectiveness for listed companies based on a multi-theoretic and multi-disciplinary approach and mostly quantifiable macro-level (national culture and legal-institutional indicators) and micro-level variables (board characteristics and board processes), by synthesizing recent corporate governance theories on boards of directors and board effectiveness into a new theoretical model. In contrast to most existing models of board effectiveness, it accounts for the moderating effect of national contexts, the mediating influence of board roles on board processes, the relevance of those board processes as predictors of board effectiveness and it offers a validated board effectiveness measure that is directly linked to firm performance. Additionally, it offers a research strategy for cross-national board effectiveness research.