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Bark is a large-tonnage waste in a number of wood processing technologies requiring efficient use. One of the promising areas of bark use is the production of boards without synthetic binders. Research has been conducted on the production of structural boards from Pinus sylvestris bark without a binder. The method is based on preliminary hydrodynamic activation of bark. The initial bark undergoes primary crushing in a hammer mill. After that, it is mixed with water at a concentration of 6 %. Then the resulting mass is activated in a rotary pulsation disperser, a carpet is formed from it, cold pressing is carried out, and then hot pressing. As a criterion for assessing the degree of mass activation, water-retaining capacity is adopted. The dependencies have been determined between the duration of treatment and water-retaining capacity, as well as the strength of the boards and water-retaining capacity. The latter made it possible to obtain the optimal value of the water-retaining capacity equal to 290 %. A multifactorial experiment has been conducted to develop the optimal hot pressing mode. As a result, the optimal mode for pressing the boards has been determined: temperature – 190 °C; specific process duration – 2.8 min/mm; pressing pressure – 4.4 MPa. The properties of the boards produced in this mode are: density – 980 kg/m 3 ; bending strength – 24 MPa; swelling during soaking for 24 hours – 5 %; water absorption – 9 %. After soaking and subsequent drying to a moisture content of 5 %, the boards retain 75 % of their before soaking. In this case, the geometric dimensions return to the original ones. The resulting boards can be used as a sheet finishing and structural material, in house-building (as a base for floor and roofing materials), in furniture production, especially in severe temperature and humidity conditions. The conducted research shows the possibility of producing board materials with high performance properties from pine bark without binders.

The clonal materials of Tectona grandis L. f. in fast-growing plantations exhibit faster growth than the seminal materials. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the differences in wood drying to ensure the quality and yield of the final product. This study evaluated the outdoor drying behavior of three genotypes of teak lumber. Two clonal genotypes (G1 and G2) and one of seminal origin (G3) were assessed. Boards measuring 30 × 150 × 1000 mm (thickness × width × length) were produced from the basal logs. The average moisture content (79.3, 64.9, and 60,1%), final moisture content (10.8, 9.8, and 11.6%), and mean drying rate (1.2, 0.97, and 0.85%.day-1) were observed in the wood from genotypes G1, G2 and G3, respectively. The clonal material crooked and bowed below 5 mm.m-1, which is considered the tolerance limit for both warpings. The seminal material had a greater incidence of splitting. The clonal genotypes G1 and G2 had similar qualities and presented higher drying rates, final moisture contents below 11% and a lower incidence of defects, especially splitting, compared to the naturally seeded material.

The purpose of this paper was to highlight (1) how (if at all) social media is governed as a marketing communication channel and (2) whether there is conceptual congruence between board and executive staff with regards to social media in their organizations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with one board member and one executive staff member from 22 Canadian national sport organizations. Results suggest nil governance and strategic oversight of social media; however, board and executive staff are seemingly aligned in this position. While having conceptual congruence is important for the organization's collective achievement, it is inherently problematic that neither side sees value in moving the discussion of social media to a governing level given its implications on marketing communication efforts. At the board level, NSOs should proactively establish a digital strategy considering the importance of the social (and digital) media function in the 21st century sport business landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large body of literature has focused on strategic leaders' (i.e., CEOs', TMT members', and board directors') influence on corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, inconsistent findings have been reported, impeding the theoretical and practical implications of this line of inquiry. Drawing from the strategic leadership literature and the corporate governance literature, we conducted a meta-analysis based on 318 samples to consolidate disparate findings on the relationships between frequently measured executive and board attributes and CSR. We also examined country managerial discretion and investor protection strength as potential boundary conditions of these relationships. With some exceptions, our meta-analytic results show that these executive and board attributes explained meaningful variance in CSR, and that country managerial discretion and investor protection strength played limited moderating roles. Additional analyses suggest that the board characteristics had a stronger relationship with CSR than the executive characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various scholars and political actors advocate workplace democratisation to give employees greater influence over decision‐making. Many suggest employee board representation (EBR) as a mechanism to facilitate this, but some question how influential employee board representatives (EBRs) are and whether they represent their colleagues' views. This study investigates the extent to which EBR contributes to workplace democratisation, via a comparison of three Australian public sector organisations. The study found EBRs exerted significantly more influence at the Australian National University than at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Film Television and Radio School. Most EBRs wanted to draw upon staff experiences but their communication with colleagues was often constrained. Variances of influence were explained by the number of EBRs, the actions of the Chair, chief executive officer, government, and other board members. Two findings stand out as unique contributions: the importance of appointment powers to EBR influence in the public sector, and EBRs' limited influence on labour issues in the Anglosphere due to the adversarial system of labour bargaining being positioned largely outside the boardroom. The study concludes that EBR is a non‐tokenistic form of workplace democratisation, albeit with a specific scope, which has utility within a mix of democratising mechanisms. Points for practitioners: Most EBRs exerted a limited or moderate influence on decision‐making, but others exerted more significant influence. They were most influential on matters related to their experience and expertise and were largely unable to influence workers' pay, conditions, and other labour issues.Most EBRs did not represent their colleagues in a transactional or direct sense, but drew upon their experiences as staff members when making decisions. However, EBRs had fluctuating issues communicating with their fellow employees, largely due to managerial direction around confidentiality.The number of SEDs on the board and the actions of other board members, the Chair, chief executive officer, and the government explained the variances in SEDs' influence between agencies.This study's findings regarding EBR influence were middling compared to European research, but appointment powers were found to be particularly important in the public sector context. EBRs' influence was found to be limited on labour issues, suggesting a potential clash between the corporatist inclination of EBR and the adversarial system of labour bargaining prevalent in the Anglosphere.Elected EBRs offer employees a non‐tokenistic form of representation but within a limited scope of strategy and oversight. Given factors that constrain SEDs' influence and representativeness can be at least partly countered by policy design and political leadership, these findings bolster the policy case for extending EBR throughout the public sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clonal materials of Tectona grandis L. f. in fast-growing plantations exhibit faster growth than the seminal materials. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the differences in wood drying to ensure the quality and yield of the final product. This study evaluated the outdoor drying behavior of three genotypes of teak lumber. Two clonal genotypes (G1 and G2) and one of seminal origin (G3) were assessed. Boards measuring 30 × 150 × 1000 mm (thickness × width × length) were produced from the basal logs. The average moisture content (79.3, 64.9, and 60,1%), final moisture content (10.8, 9.8, and 11.6%), and mean drying rate (1.2, 0.97, and 0.85%.day-1) were observed in the wood from genotypes G1, G2 and G3, respectively. The clonal material crooked and bowed below 5 mm.m-1, which is considered the tolerance limit for both warpings. The seminal material had a greater incidence of splitting. The clonal genotypes G1 and G2 had similar qualities and presented higher drying rates, final moisture contents below 11% and a lower incidence of defects, especially splitting, compared to the naturally seeded material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, people with disabilities have been excluded from the decision-making and governance of organisations that provide disability-related services. From a human rights perspective, people with disabilities should be involved in all decisions that affect their lives. This article is exploring the Disability Royal Commission's (the Commission's) findings on the inclusion of people with disabilities in the decision-making and governance of disability service providers, with a particular focus on findings that relate to people with intellectual disabilities. An analysis of the Commission's findings and recommendations was undertaken, with reference to relevant Public Hearing reports and other Commission publications. During the public hearings, the Commission was critical of disability service providers that did not include the perspective of people with lived experience in their decision-making and governance. The Commission recognised the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to undertake governance roles, provided they receive necessary support. The Commission made several recommendations to increase the leadership of people with disabilities within disability-related organisations, including policy development and co-design roles. While the Commission supported the involvement of people with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, in the governance of disability services, specific recommendations to guarantee, facilitate and resource such inclusion were missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The American Board of Surgery awards board certification after successful completion of both the Qualifying Exam and Certifying Exam. Although multiple studies have evaluated board performance at the resident level, fewer studies have evaluated board performance at the program level. Methods: Program pass rates, available through the American Board of Surgery, for 2019-2021 were compared to program information through the American Medical Association Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access (FREIDA). Results: A significant positive correlation of Certifying Exam performance to residency length, resident class size, and number of total physician faculty within the program was seen. Greater average hours of didactics per week had a significant positive correlation to improved Qualifying Exam performance but not Certifying Exam. Programs with higher percentages of residents graduating from a United States MD program, compared to international or DO schools, were associated with improved performances. It also appears that more established programs performed better than younger programs <20 years old. Programs in the West and Midwest performed significantly better on the Qualifying Exam than programs in the South and Northeast. Conclusion: Board certification serves as the capstone for surgeons after completing general surgery residency. Multiple program factors demonstrate a significant correlation to board performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talk by members of executive hospital boards influences the organizational positioning of nurses. Talk is a relational leadership practice. Using a qualitative‐interpretive design we organized focus group meetings wherein members of executive hospital boards (7), nurses (14), physicians (7), and managers (6), from 15 Dutch hospitals, discussed the organizational positioning of nursing during COVID crisis. We found that members of executive hospital boards consider the positioning of nursing in crisis a task of nurses themselves and not as a collective, interdependent, and/or specific board responsibility. Furthermore, members of executive hospital boards talk about the nursing profession as (1) more practical than strategic, (2) ambiguous in positioning, and (3) distinctive from the medical profession. Such talk seemingly contrasts with the notion of interdependence that highlights how actors depend on each other in interaction. Interdependence is central to collaboration in hospital crises. In this paper, therefore, we depart from the members of executive hospital boards as leader and "positioner," and focus on talk—as a discursive leadership practice—to illuminate leadership and governance in hospitals in crisis, as social, interdependent processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Norwegian judicial framework for the work by boards of limited liability companies with sustainability. Sustainability regulation is no longer a result of more or less targeted political initiatives, it largely presents as a coherent system of rules and it has in many ways indisputably been integrated into the field of company law in Norway. The starting point for the analysis is that the boards of Norwegian limited liability companies and public limited liability companies are expected to create value for their owners, but they are also expected to do this in a sustainable manner. Therefore, we firstly give a description of the ‘company interestʼ and its central elements. The article seeks among other things to demonstrate the trade-off between profit seeking and the boardʼs right and duty to integrate sustainability in the management of the company. The boardʼs work on sustainability in limited liability companies and public limited liability companies must be carried out within the framework stipulated by company law and other legislation, the companyʼs articles of association, and the companyʼs other governing bodies. Neither the Limited Liability Companies Act nor the Public Limited Liability Companies Act includes any specific statutory regulation of sustainability. A starting point is, therefore, that the company law framework for the boardʼs work on sustainability is constituted by the general rules in the Companies Acts on the boardʼs right and duty to manage the company in accordance with the company interest. Norwegian company law is stakeholder-oriented and takes into account both shareholder interests and stakeholder interests. Company interest includes the interests of shareholders, employees, counterparties, creditors and society as a whole. As pointed out in the article, these interests include what can be described as ‘sustainability considerationsʼ. The boards of limited liability companies and public limited liability companies must exercise their management of the company within the statutory framework. This framework also includes mandatory legislation other than the Companies Acts, for example the legislation dealing with sustainability matters. For public limited companies listed on the stock exchange, the Norwegian Code of Practice for Corporate Governance includes a specific expectation that the board must integrate sustainability into its governance of the companyʼs business activities. Another important question is to what extent the board can attach importance to sustainability considerations. It is a prerequisite for companies to be able to consider environmental and social considerations that they are financially sustainable. However, it is conceivable that the profit motive can come into conflict with social and environmental considerations. The article discusses the balance between the profit motive and social and environmental considerations. One question deals with the boardʼs ability to attach weight to sustainability in the light of the companyʼs advertising and reputation values (‘goodwillʼ). The article discusses also the relationship between sustainability and the companyʼs ability to make gifts.

We interviewed 21 board chairs of nonprofits with social missions to ask how their organizations assess performance when they cannot adequately track the intangible work by employees or the outcomes of this work. We find that the uncertainty around tracking performance data makes boards skeptical of their ability to assess performance in these organizations. Our study suggests that the skepticism of these boards inspires effective strategies focused on decreasing uncertainty around performance. These strategies include tracking a combination of quantified data, process data, and narratives from employees and clients, and ensuring specific board processes that foster a psychologically safe environment for discussion and checking against cognitive biases. We find boards in these organizations to be aware, engaged, and effective at assessing performance and we suggest that policy makers can be better informed by accessing the knowledge and strategy used by these boards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2019 and 2022, 21 Hungarian public institutions were placed under the control of so-called public interest foundations (trust funds) instead of the state. As a result, the board of each foundation gained considerable power and authority over the institutions and thus paving the way for radical changes in the university management and internal governance. Although the governance reform is in line with international trends in many respects, we identified the unique characteristics of the Hungarian reform, such as the high proportion of politicians among members or their lifetime employment. Based on 38 interviews and document analysis, we examined the rationale behind the reform and the different interpretations of the role of boards. The results show that the perception of the role of boards depends on the level of trust that the board has in the institution and its management. Where boards treat universities as minors, a micro-managerial, supervisory role is more prevalent. Where, on the other hand, the university management is seen by the board as a more responsible, mature grown-up, a more empowering partnership role is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes to the structure of English education because of decentralisation policy, particularly since 2010, have resulted in the creation of large groupings of schools – multi-academy trusts, organisations with multi-level governance structures, set out in schemes of delegation. Although the government has demanded absolute clarity on the role and remit of each part of the structure and the relationship and reporting between them, recent research suggests that there is little clarity or consistency in the role and function of board structures, with members often confused about their roles. This study draws on data from a funded project to examine: What level of consistency there is in multi-academy trust schemes of delegation, and what evidence is there that schemes of delegation align with sensemaking models of board members? The article concludes with a discussion on what the findings imply for use of schemes of delegation as useful tools for board member sensemaking in multi-academy trusts; revealing that although they can be useful tools for sensemaking, their usage varies a great deal between boards and board members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make the case that ethical guardrails in emerging technology businesses are inadequate and to develop solutions to strengthen these guardrails. Design/methodology/approach – Based on literature and first principles reasoning, the paper develops theoretical arguments about the fundamental purpose of ethical guardrails and how they evolve and then uses this along with the characteristics that distinguish emerging technology businesses to identify inadequacies in the ethical guardrails for emerging technology businesses and develop solutions to strengthen the guardrails. Findings – The paper shows that the ethical guardrails for emerging technology businesses are inadequate and that the reasons for this are systematic. The paper also develops actionable recommendations to strengthen these guardrails. Originality/value – The paper develops the novel argument that reasons for the inadequate ethical guardrails in emerging technology businesses are systematic and stem from the inadequacy of laws and regulations, inadequacy of boards and the focus of business executives.

Effective board performance relies heavily on the smooth exchange of information and knowledge among members. However, the sociocognitive processes surrounding these information exchanges within boards, known as board dynamics, are often treated as a black box in corporate governance research. With the goal of advancing the understanding of communication-centered board dynamics, this paper develops a theoretical model of unsaid known in the boardroom. Drawing on the communication, psycho-dynamics, and governance literature, we theorize how board members jointly make sense through what they think and say and not say and offer propositions. We discern between the implicit theories of senders and listeners, shaping decision-making. Our conceptual model suggests that heightened collective awareness among board members regarding communication incongruences can improve decision-making. Addressing these discrepancies can enhance boards’ capacity for informed decision-making and optimize outcomes.

We show that US firms increase their sustainability performance when their directors acquire expertise through their exposure to sustainability reforms in foreign countries where they serve as directors. Our results suggest that a board that gains sustainability expertise increases a firm's overall sustainability performance by 7.1%. The increase in sustainability comes both from improvements in environmental and social practices. Directors also consider the tradeoffs between sustainability improvements and firm characteristics, with boards having a stronger impact on sustainability in firms from clean industries and firms that face fewer operational and financial constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been criticised for underperformance, which is blamed on state capture. This article analysis the legislative framework in the contexts of state capture agency problem and argues that state capture of SOEs in South Africa was possible because of corporate governance failures. It sets three interrelated objectives, namely: To study the relationship between the number of independent members of the board of directors and the performance of SOEs; To analyse the relationship between the board of directors' meeting attendance and performance of SOEs; and, To determine the effectiveness of audit committees and performance of SOEs. The article uses qualitative methods and review of existing literature. It finds that the underperformance of South Africa's SOEs is related to the characteristics of boards of directors such as the number of independents, meeting attendance and effectiveness of audit committees. Several recommendations are made relating to improvements in the number of independent board of directors members in the SOEs, attendance of meetings and effectiveness of audit committees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work had the objective to study the bending strength of 6 Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels produced in the laboratory using reactive polyurethane structural adhesive and Pinus taeda lumber. The test methodology was based on the recommendations of the British standard BS EN 16351 (2015), with samples measuring 140 x 100 x 4.7 cm. An average value of 9,640 MPa was obtained for the modulus of elasticity, 30.24 MPa for the characteristic bending strength and 0.79 MPa for the characteristic shear strength. Production costs showed a value of R$ 100.93 per m², below the cost of masonry panels in ceramics and concrete blocks. The preliminary tests with CLT panels partially attended the standard requirements, with the mechanical classification of the lumber with a modulus of elasticity above 12,000 MPa being necessary in the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper seeks to consider the influence of organisational culture and its relationship to employees’ perception of the brand of the organisation they work for. It also aims to clarify where the responsibility lies for setting the organisational culture and whether that role is a board-driven function, falls within the influence of the CEO, or both. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach uses phenomenology, which focuses on participants’ lived experiences. Phenomenology is a segment of interpretivism that explores participants’ recollections and interpretations of events. From this, the researcher can gain insights into phenomena that can be grouped into themes for further analysis. A total of nine in-depth interviews were conducted with CEOs and senior management personnel from a range of service industries operating in Australia. Results: All participants considered organisational culture to be vital in guiding employee behaviour and highlighted the need for boards and CEOs to be cognisant of the necessity to communicate organisational values and culture to staff in a consistent manner. The implications of these results reveal that employees’ opinions of organisational culture can negatively or positively affect their attitude and engagement with the brand of the company within which they are employed.

Policy PointsHospital executives posit a number of rationales for system mergers which lack any basis in academic evidence. Decades of academic research question whether system combinations confer public benefits. Antitrust authorities need to continue to closely scrutinize these transactions.Recently, mergers of hospital systems that span different geographic markets are on the rise. Economists have alerted policymakers about the potential impacts such cross‐market mergers may have on hospital prices. We suggest there are other reasons for concern that scholars have not often confonted. Cross‐market mergers may be conducted for purely self‐serving reasons of organizational growth that increases executive compensation. Combinations of sellers should have clear advantages to consumers. System executives and their boards should bear the burden of proof.Federal regulators and state attorney generals should be cognizant that rationales for cross‐market systems advanced by merging parties are unlikely to be operative or dominant in merger decision making.Policymakers should be careful about passing legislation that encourages hospitals to consolidate. Context: There is a growing trend of combinations among hospital systems that operate in different geographic markets known as cross‐market mergers. Economists have analyzed these broader systems in terms of their anticompetitive behavior and pricing power over insurers. This paper evaluates the benefits advanced by these new hospital systems that speak to a different set of issues not usually studied: increased efficiencies, new capabilities, operating synergies, and addressing health inequities. The paper thus "looks under the hood" of these emerging, cross‐market systems to assess what value they might bestow and upon whom. Methods: The paper examines recently announced cross‐market mergers in terms of their supposed benefits, as expressed by the systems' executives as well as by industry consultants. These presumed benefits are then evaluated against existing evidence regarding hospital system outcomes. Findings: Advocates of cross‐market hospital mergers cite a host of benefits. Research suggests these benefits are nonexistent. Additional evidence suggests other motives may be at play in the formation of cross‐market mergers that have nothing to do with efficiencies, synergies, or community benefits. Instead these mergers may be self‐serving efforts by system chief executive officers (CEOs) to boost their compensation. Conclusions: Cross‐market hospital mergers may yield no benefits to the hospitals involved or the communities in which they operate. The boards of hospital systems that engage in these cross‐market mergers need to exercise greater diligence over the actions of their CEOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes how family control influences firms' acquisition activity using a socioemotional wealth (SEW) approach and discusses their anticipated SEW gains and losses when making acquisition decisions. Data collected from Spanish public companies from 2010 to 2015 indicates that family firms are more reticent about undertaking acquisitions than nonfamily firms, and their lower propensity is more pronounced when there are no former politicians on the board of directors whose presence could reduce potential SEW losses. Furthermore, the benefits of former politicians on the board of family firms in terms of acquisition activity only occur in low-velocity industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of board characteristics--such as size, gender diversity, skills, and meeting frequency--on the financial performance of SACCOSs in Tanzania. The study focused on three financial performance indicators: net loan income, operating efficiency ratio, and deposit-to-asset ratio. Descriptive statistics and linear regression models were used to analyse panel data collected from financial reports of 198 SACCOSs for five years (2014-2018). The results show a positive and significant relationship between financially-skilled board member(s) and the deposit-to-asset ratio; conversely, they were negatively associated with the operating efficiency ratio. The results further show that board meetings are positively and significantly related to net loan income, whereas board size is positively associated with the operating efficiency ratio. Moreover, the paper found no evidence of a relationship between women's board members and financial performance. Impliedly, having financially-skilled directors on a board and regular board meetings facilitated financial performance in a SACCOS. Thus, the paper calls for board members to have financial skills, and boards to conduct regular meetings for constructive advice and effective monitoring to boost financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to enhance understanding of the collaboration between chairs of nurse councils (CNCs) and members of executive hospital boards (BM) from a relational leadership perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a qualitative and interpretive methodology. The authors study the daily interactions of BM and CNCs of seven Dutch hospitals through a relational leadership lens. The authors used a combination of observations, interviews and document analysis. The author's qualitative analysis was used to grasp the process of collaborating between BM and CNCs. Findings: Knowing each other, relating with and relating to are distinct but intertwined processes that influence the collaboration between BM and CNC. The absence of conflict is also regarded as a finding in this paper. Combined together, they show the importance of a relational process perspective to understand the complexity of collaboration in hospitals. Originality/value: Collaboration between professional groups in hospitals is becoming more important due to increasing interdependence. This is a consequence of the complexity in organizing qualitative care. Nevertheless, research on the process of collaborating between nurse councils (NCs) and executive hospital boards is scarce. Furthermore, the understanding of the workings of boards, in general, is limited. The relational process perspective and the combination of observations, interviewing and document analysis proved valuable in this study and is underrepresented in leadership research. This process perspective is a valuable addition to skills- and competencies-focused leadership literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore leadership within nonprofit sport governance. As an outcome, the authors present a preliminary working model of leadership in nonprofit sport governance based on existing literature and our new empirical evidence. Leadership in nonprofit sport governance has received limited attention to date in scholarly discourse. The authors adopt a case study approach involving three organizations and 16 participant interviews from board members and Chief Executive Officers within the golf network in Australia to uncover key leadership issues in this domain. Interviews were analyzed using an interpretive process, and a thematic structure relating to leadership in the nonprofit sport governance context was developed. Leadership ambiguity, distribution of leadership, leadership skills and development, and leadership and volunteerism emerged as the key themes in the research. These themes, combined with existing literature, are integrated into a preliminary working model of leadership in nonprofit sport governance that helps to shape the issues and challenges embedded within this emerging area of inquiry. The authors offer a number of suggestions for future research to refine, test, critique, and elaborate on our proposed working model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper seeks to consider the influence of organisational culture and its relationship to employees' perception of the brand of the organisation they work for. It also aims to clarify where the responsibility lies for setting the organisational culture and whether that role is a board-driven function, falls within the influence of the CEO, or both. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach uses phenomenology, which focuses on participants' lived experiences. Phenomenology is a segment of interpretivism that explores participants' recollections and interpretations of events. From this, the researcher can gain insights into phenomena that can be grouped into themes for further analysis. A total of nine in-depth interviews were conducted with CEOs and senior management personnel from a range of service industries operating in Australia. Results: All participants considered organisational culture to be vital in guiding employee behaviour and highlighted the need for boards and CEOs to be cognisant of the necessity to communicate organisational values and culture to staff in a consistent manner. The implications of these results reveal that employees' opinions of organisational culture can negatively or positively affect their attitude and engagement with the brand of the company within which they are employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with an increasingly hostile environment, organizations defending and advancing rights need to maximize their strength. Assessing their internal health and understanding the ways in which weak systems and practice make them vulnerable should be a priority. In discussions among rights leaders at o project to build strength and solidarity in the human rights field, three particular oreas show up as needing more attention and better approaches: board governance, executive leadership transitions and internal organizational culture. In eoch case, the experience shared suggests that capacity for self-reflection, learning and trust is likely to support better organizational health and ability to withstand negative conditions. While organizations are responsible for their own health, donor practice can sharply affect their experience and has an impact on the health of the field. Attention to organizational health is a critical point of departure for building resilience and strength but for a stronger human rights field, organizations and movements also need to focus outwards, on building greater solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender inequality is still a very expressive phenomenon nowadays. This reality is reflected in several areas, namely, in the opportunities/barriers placed on women who aspire to perform top management functions. This study aims to analyze the workers' perceptions of women's organizational leadership. A questionnaire was given to 186 employees that work in different hierarchical positions in organizations that supply sports services. Two dimensions were analyzed related to (i) the identification of the stereotypes that label women in the performance of domestic work, family, or professional issues, and (ii) the evaluation of their roles and skills as managers/leaders. Through a multivariate analysis, three factors were identified in each dimension. Significant differences were found between the gender variable and in the different factors except in the factor about women and family life. Despite the several policy interventions in the field of gender equity, the results of this study suggest a preference for male managers. Thus, study gives relevant contributions showing different gender perceptions in the organizational context, contributing to the analysis of the problem around gender discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate governance research has been driven by underlying assumptions and perspectives that are predominantly based on our understanding of US publicly listed companies and US capital market constituents with an emphasis on shareholder value maximization. Yet today, public companies face a changed governance landscape driven by the growth in passive funds, the dominance of the Big Three index funds, and the emergence of activist hedge funds. In addition, increasing investor emphasis on environmental, social, and governance matters has led to a shift away from shareholder primacy. While public companies face an altered governance context, scholars for the most part have not paid attention to the ramifications of these developments on corporate governance and strategic decision-making. We articulate the factors that have emerged and identify opportunities for future research that will lead to greater insight and a more comprehensive understanding of how the changed governance landscape is influencing managerial and board decision-making and firm outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We find that the cultural distance between the CEO and a firm's directors increases the sensitivity of CEO turnover and compensation to performance while enhancing shareholder value. This effect is concentrated in the cultural distance between the CEO and independent directors. More culturally distant CEOs adopt less risky financial and operating policies. To establish causality, we use the sudden exit of directors as a source of exogenous change in cultural distance. Overall, our results suggest that cultural distance increases information collection costs. This causes the board to monitor with increased rigor and to rely on "hard" information to assess CEO performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medications may be specially prepared, or "compounded," to meet the needs of patients who cannot use standard formulation. The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention is a private, nongovernmental organization which independently develops guidelines for pharmaceuticals. The purpose of this survey study is to better understand the extent to which state boards of pharmacy currently incorporate relevant USP guidelines into their compounding regulations. Methods and findings: Executive directors or other administrative representatives of each state board of pharmacy were invited to respond to six open-ended questions. Their free text responses were analyzed by two reviewers (KR, SI) using qualitative research techniques. The response rate was 71% (36/51). Almost all (35/36, 97%) indicated that they implement USP compounding standards at least in part. Eighteen boards (18/28, 64%) reported that 'some, but not all standards' are enforced, most commonly < 795 > and < 797 > , but not < 800 > (9/28, 32%). Ten (10/28, 36%) indicated that 'all' USP compounding standards are enforced. Eighteen (18/21, 86%) only implement finalized USP standards, whereas three consider newly proposed chapters (3/21, 14%). Over half (22/36, 61%) employ a committee or similar process to select standards. Conclusions: Almost all responding state boards of pharmacy incorporate finalized USP compounding standards into their regulations, usually via a formal rulemaking process, with boards commonly implementing some standards but not all. Chapters < 795 > and < 797 > are implemented more commonly than < 800 >. Since Congress passed the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), pharmacy boards are becoming increasingly observant of USP compounding standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the evolving state of sport governance with an applied examination of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland. The challenge, which this article considers, is how this transformation becomes realised in an organisation, like the GAA, whilst remaining broadly aligned to an amateur and volunteer-led ethos, still representative of its membership at large and continuing to be broadly equitable in its funding and other fiscal policies. At a governance level it raises specific questions about the role of elected boards, their backgrounds, competencies, scope, and purpose as this strategic 'step change' becomes embedded and, inevitably, poses many challenging questions. Put simply, if the direction of an organisation changes, requiring new and different attributes on behalf of those governing it, what is the most effective way to ensure this happens within specific cultural constraints and what are the associated challenges if it does not achieve this outcome? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]