Andrew Kakabadse - Global Boards: One Desire, Many Realities

1. Mitchell Koza Distinguished Professor of Management, Rutgers School of Business, Camden, New Jersey, USA

This timely and well reasoned assessment of Global Boards provides a much welcome correction to the current distrust of Boards and the organizations they govern. Bravo!

2. Professor David Hayward Dean of the School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

A must read for those interested in the role that Boards might play in the vastly different global economy.

3. Dr Cliff Bowman Professor of Strategic Management, Cranfield School of Management, UK

A timely and insightful exploration of the impact of national cultures on boardroom behaviour.

4. David G. Altman, Ph.D, Executive Vice President, Research, Innovation & Product Development, Center for Creative Leadership, USA

An insightful and powerful analysis of the global context of board oversight. Readable and highly relevant to the current day events.

5. Yasmin Allen Director, Insurance Australia Group & Director, Macquarie Specialised Asset Management, Australia.

Too many studies focus on the statutory role of the board and not enough on the reality of boardroom conduct. In this broad reaching study, the authors assess board dynamics globally. While it would be convenient for a standard set of behaviours and ideals to manifest, in fact, the opposite is true. Best in breed companies rely on diversity and contextual knowledge creates longer lasting wealth creation.

6. Professor Yvon Pesqueux CNAM, Chair, Development Systems Organisation, France.

The world is not so global, a board is not so perfect

7. Professor Frank Bournois Directeur du CIFFOP, University Pantheon-Assas, Paris, France

A most comprehensive and insightful treatment of boards, directors and governance on a global basis. A must read for all managers, directors and business school students.

8. Professor Peter Shergold Macquarie Group Foundation Chair, Sydney, Australia

A rich and fascinating global perspective on how the behaviour of Boards is shaped by the particularities of regional context.

9. Professor Marie McHugh Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Ulster Business School

Excellent book. Greatly advances our knowledge and understanding of the functioning of boards

Also edited by Andrew Kakabadse and Nada Kakabadse

GOVERNANCE, STRATEGY AND POLICY: Seven Critical Essays

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Reconciling Aspiration with Application (with Mette Morsing)

CSR IN PRACTICE: Delving Deep

Also by Andrew Kakabadse and Nada Kakabadse

LEADING THE BOARD

LEADING FOR SUCCESS: The Seven Sides to Great Leaders (with Linda Lee-Davies)

THE ELEPHANT HUNTERS: Chronicles of the Moneymen (with Amielle Lake)

Also by Andrew Kakabadse

SPIRITUAL MOTIVATION: New Thinking for Business Management (with Jeremy Ramsden and Shuhei Aida)

One Desire, Many Realities

Edited by

Andrew Kakabadse

Professor of International Management Development, Cranfield University, School of Management, UK

and

Nada Kakabadse

Professor in Management and Business Research, Northampton University Business School, UK

Selection and editorial content Andrew Kakabadse and Nada Kakabadse 2009
Individual content contributors 2009

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.

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The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published 2009 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN

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ISBN: 9780230212121 hardback

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Printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne

We are deeply grateful to Madeleine Fleure for her perseverance in typing draft after draft and her warm and pleasant demeanour in promptly responding to all queries and questions from contributors, research participants and all other parties.

We would also like to thank Sheena Darby for having arranged intricate travel itineraries and meeting schedules in the UK, Turkey and China.

Our grateful thanks also go to Alexi Mordashov, Vadim Makhov, Dmirty Afanasyev and Dmitry Kouptsov and the Severstal Corporation for their generous support in sponsoring the studies in this book through the Cranfield/Severstal research programme.

Last we are indebted to all of the managers and directors of the public and private organisations we surveyed and to the community representatives and politicians that we spoke to all of whom shaped the thinking and research that make up this book. Your experiences have provided an invaluable source of insight for so many people, for so many years to come.

Dr Yang Chen Lecturer in Contemporary Chinese Studies Centre for East Asian Studies University of Bristol, UK.

John Cottrell PhD Candidate, Faculty of Business and Enterprise, Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia.

Andrew Kakabadse Professor of International Management Development, Cranfield University, School of Management, UK.

Nada Kakabadse Professor in Management and Business Research, University of Northampton, UK.

Abigail Levrau Doctor Assistant, member of the Management Committee, GUBERNA, Belgium.

Malcolm McIntosh Professor of Human Security and Sustainable Enterprise, Director, Applied Research Centre in Human Security (ARCHS), Coventry University, UK.

Dr Eleanor OHiggins University College Dublin, School of Business and Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.