Things will always go wrong in organisations. The question is how quickly will they get caught
and put right? The problem facing every organisation today - our businesses universities
health services or the many other sporting and charitable institutions that shape our society
- is that the relationship between their executive management and those whose job it is to
oversee them (whether they are called non-executive or independent directors trustees or
governors) has become unbalanced. The Independent Director in Society shows how to rebalance
it. Based on original in-depth research from Henley Business School this is the first book to
survey and analyse the governance crisis right across society rather than just focus upon the
business sector. The authors show that - despite their many differences - all organisations
have many issues behaviours and problems in common. The same problems require in many cases
the same solutions. Sometimes they don't. The authors offer two answers. The first lies in the
realm of policy. Not a need for more legislation but a move to give the existing codes of
practice back their teeth and make them fit for purpose.The second lies with independent
directors themselves. Urgent improvement is needed in standards of thought and action as well
as the calibre of these directors. Above all directors need to develop an independent mindset
that will enable them to make better more accurate decisions. There are many elements to
creating this culture including selection training and education for directors and support
from chairs and executive teams but most of all directors themselves must recognise their
responsibilities in a complex and volatile world.
