Internal Governance of Interest Organizations: The Role of Boards of Directors in Advocacy Performance

Abstract

Studies explaining interest organizations’ influence typically focus on the role of groups’ structural characteristics, such as group type. However, we ask whether the boards of interest groups can also play a role in their organizations’ advocacy performance. Drawing from management scholarship, we investigate how the governance practices and characteristics of the boards of interest organizations are associated with those organizations’ advocacy performance. To study this, we surveyed the board members of Finnish elite interest organizations and found that board performance in strategy tasks (e.g., long-term planning and connecting with stakeholders) is strongly related to advocacy performance. Moreover, we found that the gender diversity of boards is negatively associated with success in advocacy, and the frequency of board meetings is curvilinearly associated. In contrast, board performance in control tasks (e.g., monitoring of management), board size, and inclusive practices are not associated with advocacy performance.

Boards' strategic involvement models: Past, present, and future

“…And the last paper that is included in this topicstrategic performance is the one that analysis the determinants of the organizations' advocacy performance (which represents their ability to influence citizens; opinions, media agendas, political parties' and politicians' agendas, parliamentary decisions and governmental decisions). The study that address this issue was developed by Vehka and Vesa (2023) on a sample of 507 board member in 140 associations (or interest organizations). Vehka and Vesa (2023) have found that there is a positive relation between board meetings, board members' (or managements') political experience and most importantly boards performance in strategic task with the organizations advocacy performance.…”

“…The study that address this issue was developed by Vehka and Vesa (2023) on a sample of 507 board member in 140 associations (or interest organizations). Vehka and Vesa (2023) have found that there is a positive relation between board meetings, board members' (or managements') political experience and most importantly boards performance in strategic task with the organizations advocacy performance. Most of the findings in the paper within this firstlevel subtopic (strategic performance) indicate that board impact on organizations performance largely depends on their ability for effective execution of their strategic task and for formulating strategies (completive strategies, CRS strategies, or carbon strategies) that highlight the importance of certain type of performance (Orazalin, 2019;Orazalin & Baydauletov, 2020;Moussa et al, 2019;Bayo-Moriones et al, 2020;Vehka and Vesa, 2023).…”