In the boardroom, executive and non-executive directors must frequently make decisions balancing competing interests and conflicting moral norms, with their actions impacting employees, customers, shareholders, and society at large. These decisions are not always understood, frequently criticised, and sometimes deemed immoral or unethical. Disbelief over the apparent mismatch between the actions of the company and the moral norms of wider society can damage the corporate reputation and lead to embarrassing U-turns. However, despite the importance of these decisions and the interest they generate, we rarely ask how these decisions are made? What role do moral norms and moral identity have in the boardroom? And how do companies sometimes interpret the moral norm so spectacularly poorly? The picture revealed is of a decision-making process that is neither simple nor morally black-and-white. This eye-opening book examines the role of moral judgement in the boardroom and how the actions and behaviours of directors in tackling moral dilemmas can lead to wildly different outcomes and consequences. It includes forensic breakdowns of recent, high profile boardroom decisions, with alternative outcomes explored and assessed. The detailed descriptions of the case studies include the moral dilemmas and the subsequent decisions of the directors of Adidas, Bud Light, Ajax, Yahoo!, G-Star, and many others. This book provides practical guidance for corporate decision-makers looking to assign the right weight to conflicting moral norms and interests, as well as all those seeking to gain more insight into the workings of the boardroom.

This book takes the central issues facing board members today and applies the giving voice to values framework while also providing insights from practicing board members who have faced these issues. It covers such topics as strategic planning and monitoring, director independence, privacy and cyber risk, executive compensation and CEO succession planning. With this book, readers will also grapple with the conflicts of interest that might arise in the director selection process, role of the nominating committee and the compensation committee in order to cultivate more optimal board dynamics. The principles of giving voice to values start by asking a deceptively simple question: ‘What if you were going to act on your values—what would you say and do?’ The book then provides an overview of the current landscape of corporate governance along with the major rules and director duties applicable to the board of directors. The book’s latter chapters contain a series of five scenarios common to the board of directors that are presented as a set of “Board Challenges” involving the tensions often found in board work. In Giving Voice to Values in the Boardroom, the author, Cynthia E. Clark, provides practical strategies for board members and other constituents of corporate governance to deal with these challenges. These cases are designed to help users of the book implement prescripting and action planning. Each case will also have discussion questions about the stakes and stakeholders, common reasons and rationalizations and examples of how firms and governance professionals have handled similar board challenges.

Distinguished governance experts offer cures for what ails our boards of directors In light of corporate malfeasance in recent years, the governance of corporations has been receiving great attention from regulators, researchers, shareholders, and directors themselves. Based on Richard Leblanc's in-depth five-year study of 39 boards of directors of both for- and not-for-profit organizations, Building a Better Board goes behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of boards of directors, including how they make decisions. Recently chosen as one of Canada's "Top 40 Under 40"(TM), Dr Richard Leblanc is an award-winning teacher and researcher, certified management consultant, professional speaker, professor, lawyer and specialist on boards of directors. He can be reached at [email protected]. James Gillies, PhD (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), is Professor Emeritus at the Schulich School of Business, York University, where he serves as Chair of the Canada-Russia Corporate Governance Program.

Boards may not appear to be noticed while business activities are going well. Yet, when things start to go awry, they are usually the center of attention, and their effectiveness is actively questioned. Are todays' boards equipped to create value for companies in the future? Dr. Almona's proprietary ©Five-Way Directional Model, which can be used in various contexts, guides board members to focus their attention on what matters most. It helps them leverage their board leadership role to achieve success in the short, medium, and long term. The model requires business leaders to look intentionally in the right direction, learn from what they see so that they can lead effectively, and consequently leap exponentially. Looking in the right direction allows the board to have a robust perspective of its stakeholders and the business landscape. Over the past twenty-five years, Dr. Almona has studied board behavior and worked with several boards as an advisor, assessor, trainer, and consultant. In this book, she harnesses her wealth of experience to assist boards in professionalizing their practices to achieve sustainable business success. Boards that look and learn effectively, lead and leap exponentially.

Business and Society: Ethical, Legal, and Digital Environments prepares students for the modern workplace by exploring the opportunities and challenges they will face in today′s interconnected, global economy.