3. Structure
Board of
Executive Director
Directors
Manages the
Assumes the
daily
legal
operations of
responsibility
the
for an
organization
organization’s
existence
Effective or Ineffective?
4. Contributing Factors
• Conflict of Interest
• Founder’s Syndrome
• Program Monitoring
• Board Size
• Pluralistic Ignorance
Ineffectiveness
5. Conflict of Interest
Interpretation of Mission and Vision Differ
How Can Organizations Overcome Conflicts of Interest?
• Training
• Clarity of Roles and Responsibilities of Board & Executive Director
Gibelman Research
6. Founder’s Syndrome
Emotional Investment of Founder Can Paralyze an Organization
Personalized Leaders vs Socialized Leaders
Discussion Question
How can the emotional investment of the founder influence the board
and impede the progress of the organization?
Block and Rosenberg Research
7. Program Monitoring
“evaluations tends to be on processes and inputs rather than
outcomes” (Ott, 2001)
“ideal methods of evaluation are rarely followed because goals are
unclear and measurement instruments yield ambiguous results”
(Ott, 2001).
Discussion Question
How has the Sarbanes-Oxley Act impacted the nonprofit sector and do
you believe that further government regulation is needed in nonprofit
governance matters? Why or Why Not?
Herman Research
8. Board Size
Research reveals that smaller boards govern more
effectively
Discussion Question:
Do you agree or disagree with this statement and why?
Best practice for large boards - Bifurcated Board
This type of board would allow some members to
govern while and others are considered non-
governing members
Discussion Question
What would be the advantages of a Bifurcated Board?
Klausner & Small Research
9. Pluralistic Ignorance
Everyone presumes that the initiative is supported
because of board member silence.
Silence = Acceptance = Bad Strategy
Discussion Question
Have you been guilty of not speaking up at work when you knew the
organization was not engaging in best practices? What kept you from
voicing your opinion?
Holloway Research
10. Literature Review
Both Worth and Ott believe that there is no magic formula to board
effectiveness
Worth states that organizations should be skeptical of “the one right
way” prescription to board effectiveness
Worth and Ott recognizes that there is limited empirical studies on board
effectiveness
Each research article had its own unique approach to board
effectiveness
All cited research had a common theme: Success is dependent on
proper strategic planning.
