In public sector literature the dimensions influencing the governing bodies effectiveness are announced as relevant issues, but they still remain not investigated (Hodges et al. 1996; Farell 2005; Hinna et al. 2009). While in private sector scholars are exploring “actors, decisions making processes, relationships and interactions inside and outside the boardroom” (Gabrielsson, Huse 2009: 19), public sector literature on governing bodies presents few studies including behavioural dimensions (Cornforth, Edwards 1999; Greer, Hoggett 2000; Kirkbride, Letza 2003;Benz, Frey 2007). Moreover, changes requested by New Public Management and Public Governance pose important questions on a) the re-configuration of public bureaucracies b) how they may perform their new tasks. Therefore, governing bodies should assume a mediating role between the external requests of change and the resistance arising within public administrations. Starting from these premises, we investigated the micro (organisational) level, exploring the boards’ behavioural dimensions for managing the changes requested by reforms’ movements. Aiming to evidence if, and in which terms, board has been a topic of PG’s research, the paper presents an overview of literature regarding boards in public organizations. Compared with the literature both on corporate governance and on the macro and meso levels of governance in the public sector, in fact, the micro-level of public governance remains a neglected area of research (Corkery, Wettenhall, 1990). Moving towards a behavioural theory of boards, researchers focused on the human side of corporate governance (Forbes, Milliken 1999; Samra-Fredericks 2000; Huse 2005; Zona, Zattoni 2007), studying the behavioural processes and dynamics in and around the boardroom to better understand the conditions for effective governance (McNulty, Pettigrew 1999; Westphal et al. 2001; Leblanc, Schwartz 2007; Van Ees et al. 2009). Scholars also state the importance of human and social capital of boards and board members expertise (Hillman et al. 2003) as an important antecedents for board effectiveness.
A behavioral perspective for studying governing bodies: a literature review / Mangia, Gianluigi; D., Scarozza; Tomo, Andrea; E., De Nito; A., Hinna. - STAMPA. - (2013). (Intervento presentato al convegno XVII IRSPM Conference Public sector responses to global crisis - New challenges for politics and public management tenutosi a Prague, Czech Republic, nel 10-12 April 2013).
A behavioral perspective for studying governing bodies: a literature review
MANGIA, GIANLUIGI;TOMO, ANDREA;
2013
Abstract
In public sector literature the dimensions influencing the governing bodies effectiveness are announced as relevant issues, but they still remain not investigated (Hodges et al. 1996; Farell 2005; Hinna et al. 2009). While in private sector scholars are exploring “actors, decisions making processes, relationships and interactions inside and outside the boardroom” (Gabrielsson, Huse 2009: 19), public sector literature on governing bodies presents few studies including behavioural dimensions (Cornforth, Edwards 1999; Greer, Hoggett 2000; Kirkbride, Letza 2003;Benz, Frey 2007). Moreover, changes requested by New Public Management and Public Governance pose important questions on a) the re-configuration of public bureaucracies b) how they may perform their new tasks. Therefore, governing bodies should assume a mediating role between the external requests of change and the resistance arising within public administrations. Starting from these premises, we investigated the micro (organisational) level, exploring the boards’ behavioural dimensions for managing the changes requested by reforms’ movements. Aiming to evidence if, and in which terms, board has been a topic of PG’s research, the paper presents an overview of literature regarding boards in public organizations. Compared with the literature both on corporate governance and on the macro and meso levels of governance in the public sector, in fact, the micro-level of public governance remains a neglected area of research (Corkery, Wettenhall, 1990). Moving towards a behavioural theory of boards, researchers focused on the human side of corporate governance (Forbes, Milliken 1999; Samra-Fredericks 2000; Huse 2005; Zona, Zattoni 2007), studying the behavioural processes and dynamics in and around the boardroom to better understand the conditions for effective governance (McNulty, Pettigrew 1999; Westphal et al. 2001; Leblanc, Schwartz 2007; Van Ees et al. 2009). Scholars also state the importance of human and social capital of boards and board members expertise (Hillman et al. 2003) as an important antecedents for board effectiveness.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
