No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the overall effectiveness of and the level of engagement in performance assessment processes by Indiana school boards in relation to the Indiana School Board's Associations (ISBA) Code of Ethics as perceived by school administrators. Additionally, there were four objectives: (a) to determine what extent Indiana school boards engage in a process of formal evaluation of their own performance and effectiveness; (b) to determine if there is a difference in perceived compliance to the ISBA Code of Ethics for school boards who engage in school board performance evaluation compared to those school boards who do not; (c) to determine if there is a relationship between the educational background of school board members and school boards performing their duties according to the ISBA Code of Ethics; and (d) to determine the overall perceptions of Indiana school superintendents and randomly selected elementary and secondary principals as to whether school board performance is currently in accordance with the ISBA Code of Ethics. Research questions and hypotheses were developed to determine school superintendents' and randomly selected elementary and secondary school principals' perceptions and possible differences and/or relationships.A descriptive survey research procedure was used in this study, which sought information regarding the professional activities of each participant's school board in comparison to the ISBA Code of Ethics. The questionnaire was constructed in order to answer four research questions and three null hypotheses.The findings indicated: (1) 32.5% of Indiana school boards evaluate their own performance and effectiveness; (2) 67.5% of Indiana school boards do not evaluate their own performance and effectiveness; (3) school boards that engage in performance evaluation processes tend to adhere more strongly to the ISBA Code of Ethics in comparison with those school boards that do not engage in performance evaluation; (4) there was no relationship between the educational background of school board members and school board performance in accordance with the ISBA Code of Ethics; and (5) there did appear to be a significant difference between how superintendents and principals perceive school board performance when compared to the ISBA Code of Ethics. / Department of Educational Leadership

Bakgrund Små familjeägda aktiebolags styrelsesammansättning brukar kännetecknas av en överlappning mellan familjen och företaget. Små företag har ofta inte råd med det antal kompetenta styrelseledamöter som de har behov av och kan därmed gå miste om viktig information, kompetens och erfarenheter som en extern styrelseledamot kan bidra med. Vidare har tidigare forskning visat att externa styrelseledamöter kan tillföra ett främmande inslag i familjeföretaget vilket kan ge en känsla som innebär förlust av kontroll. Slutligen kan det anses finnas brister i tidigare forskning då små företag har undersökts i mindre utsträckning. Forskningsfrågor Vad är det som avgör varför små familjeföretag väljer att tillsätta externa styrelseledamöter eller inte? Syfte Syftet är att genom kvalitativa intervjuer förklara små familjeföretags tillsättande av externa styrelseledamöter. Metod Studien har byggts på en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts med tio VD:ar i tio små svenska familjeägda aktiebolag. Teoretisk referensrams Den teoretiska referensramen bygger på en trecirkelmodell som beskriver familjeföretags överlappande system. Avslutningsvis ges en överblick av styrelser samt beskrivs agentteorin och stewardshipsteorins förhållande till externa styrelseledamöter. Empiri De tio genomförda intervjuernas resultat presenteras under fyra teman och tabeller. Analys Analyskapitlet har genomförts med stöd av den teoretiska referensramens olika delar. Slutsats 0Vår slutsats är att den viktigaste egenskapen hos en extern styrelseledamot är dess kompetens och erfarenhet. En annan viktig faktor som avgör valet är för att få en s.k. input, en extern syn på verksamheten och någon att bolla idéer med. I och med tillsättandet har många av företagens styrelsearbeten övergått från passivt till aktivt styrelsearbete och de intervjuade företagarna ser endast positivt på tillsättandet. / Background Small family-owned limited liability company board composition is usually characterized by an overlap between the family and the company. Small businesses often can’t afford the number of qualified board members that they have in need and can thus miss important information, expertise and experience as an external board member can contribute. Furthermore, previous research has shown that outside directors can bring a foreign element in the family business which can give a sense involving loss of control. Finally, it is considered to be flaws in previous research when small companies have been investigated to a lesser extent. Research questions What is it that determines why small family businesses choose to appoint outside directors, or not? Purpose The purpose is that through qualitative interviews explain small family companies appointment of external board members. Method The study has been built on a qualitative approach with semistructured interviews conducted with ten CEOs of ten small, familyowned companies. Theory The theoretical framework is based on a threecircelmodel that describs the overlapping systems in family business. Finally it is an overwiev of boards and a explanation about the agency theory's and stewardship theory’s relation to the external board members. Empiricism The ten completed interview results are presented under four themes and tables. Analysis The analysis chapter has been implemented with the support of the theoretical framework different parts Conclusion Our conclusion is that the main feature of an external director is its expertise and experience. Another important factor that determines the choice is to get a so-called input, an external view of the business and someone to bounce ideas with. After the appointment many boards have worked in shift from passive to active and the interviwed businessowners only look positive on the appointment.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1978. / Title from title page screen, viewed Jan. 6, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Clayton Thomas, Ronald Halinski (co-chairs), Benjamin Hubbard, Mary Zey-Ferrell, Creta Sabine. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-84) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2001. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 20, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Richard Wiggall (chair), Darryl Pifer, Albert Azinger, Robert Hall. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-180) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p.165-186) and index.

The problem of this study is that of discerning the board positions, the roles, and the perceptions of Black elected public school board members in Mississippi as perceptions relate to racial discrimination, interpersonal relationships, and primary education interests. Major problems in education as perceived ranged from "racism" to "finances." Major contributions to education in Mississippi in the last five years as perceived ranged from "court decisions" to "election of Blacks to education positions." General conclusions are that less racial discrimination exists in school systems with Blacks represented on school boards; however, some racism is still perceived by Black board members.

Numerous literature world-wide emphasises the significance of learner voice and leadership in schools. These concerns are not new to the education system of Namibia, because the education system is shaped by policy which encourages the voices of all stakeholders in the schools. The Education Act 16 of 2001 introduced the Learner Representative Council (LRC) as a legitimised body in secondary schools which represents learners in school level decision-making. Learner Representative Council members in secondary schools are allowed to sit in on School Board meetings and voice their concerns about issues at the school. The Act also involved parents, allowing them to air their views on behalf of their children, by becoming part of the School Board. Although this is what the Act 16 of 2001 introduced, recent researchers have urged for the need to develop learner voice and leadership in schools, as many schools have turned a blind eye to its significance. This is also what prompted me to conduct a study on the development of learner voice and leadership. This research was conducted within the context of learner leadership at a primary school in the Otjozondjupa region, Namibia, focusing on the school’s existing Learner Representative Council (LRC). The study explores the underlying reasons for the current problems in the LRC structure and beyond, opening up leadership opportunities, and promoting learner voice at the school. Participants in the research were drawn from learners, teachers, heads of department, and the principal. As a qualitative case study in the interpretive paradigm, the study employed a range of data collection strategies - questionnaires, interviews, focus group interviews, observation and Change Laboratory (CL) workshops - to gather data to answer key research questions: How is the LRC currently involved in the leadership of the school? What are the factors inhibiting the development of learner leadership in the school? What opportunities exist for the development of learner voice and leadership within the LRC? How can learner voice and leadership be developed through Change Laboratory (CL) workshops? The research was underpinned by the second generation of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as an analytical framework. CHAT had the potential to bring problems and challenges into focus, which was then used to open up expansive learning in the CL workshops. Data collected from the participants was surfaced as mirror data in these workshops. The study showed that the LRC was not active in their leadership roles and that they were not given enough opportunities to function freely in their roles. These learners were under a traditional system of leadership, whereby teachers had all the control and say in the learners’ leadership roles. The development of learner leadership was only recognised through the leadership training camp. Many factors that inhibited the development of learner voice and leadership also emerged in the study. Lastly, the notion of developing learner voice was also not understood by some teachers, which showed in their contradicting views. This study recommends that learner leadership should be developed, starting at an early age in the primary school. It also recommends that learners, however young, should be given a platform to contribute to the decision making at their schools.

D.Ed. / The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 mandates the introduction of democratic school governance. The problems that need to be addressed are poor school governance, poorly motivated learners and educators, and a general lack of managerial skills in school leadership. This research has argued that developing school governing bodies, and providing them with the skills to govern effectively, is crucial to the success of a school transformation process. The research concentrated on schools in the Northern Cape and Gauteng Province. A quantitative research methodology was used to elicit the perceptions of educators with regard to the frequency with which school leaders practice collaborative leadership. A structured questionnaire consisting of 61 items was administered to 500 educators, with a return of 87%. In this research, 61 items were formulated to secure information on the importance of various essential functions for school leaders to collaboratively govern their schools. The construct validity of the instrument in this research was investigated by means of successive first and second order factor analytic procedures performed on the 61 items. The first order procedure involved a principal component analysis (PCA1) followed by a principal factor analysis (PFA1). The following four first order factors were derived from the first analytic procedure performed on the 61 items: Achievement orientated leadership consisting of 25 items with a Cronbach-Alpha reliability of 0,979 with no items rejected. Team orientated leadership consisting of 15 items with a Cronbach- Alpha reliability of 0,962 with no items rejected. Communication orientated leadership consisting of 14 items with Cronback-Alpha reliability of 0,962 with no items rejected. Innovation orientated leadership consisting of 7 items with a Cronbach- Alpha reliability of 0,913. The four obtained from the first order factor analysis were now used as inputs for the second order procedure. These procedures resulted in the four factors consisting of 61 items being reduced to one factor that was named authentic collaborative leadership. It had a Cronbach-Alpha reliability coefficient of 0,990 with no items rejected. The literature survey was used to indicate the difference between authentic collaborative leadership based on an achievement, team, communication, and innovation orientation and inauthentic collaboration based on contrived collegiality. The research is concluded with recommendations based on 19 findings.

Bakgrund: Offentlig information som finns tillgänglig visar att det är en stark majoritet män i bolagsstyrelser. I takt med att mångfald diskuteras i samhället och allt fler yrken blir mer jämställda, har styrelserummens könsdiversifiering inte omvandlats på samma sätt jämfört med andra yrken. Vissa skandinaviska länder har vidtagit åtgärder för att öka jämställdheten i företagens styrelser. Det kan berika att veta om de vidtagna åtgärderna ger det förväntade resultatet. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka om det finns något samband mellan avkastningen och könsfördelningen bland styrelseledamöterna i nyintroducerade bolag på Stockholmsbörsens, Large Cap, Mid Cap och Small Cap. Metod: Studien utgår från en kvantitativ metod med multipel regressionsanalys för olika oberoende variabler för att undersöka korrelationen mellan lönsamhet och könsdiversifiering inom bolagsstyrelser på kort sikt samt lång sikt. Därtill utfördes t-tester för att pröva om skillnader mellan genomsnittlig avkastning finns. Slutsats: Resultaten från denna studie finner inga evidens på statistiska samband mellan könsdiversifiering i styrelsen och lönsamhet i avkastning över durationen på ett år från att börsnotering skett. / Background: Public information that is available indicates that there is a strong majority of males ruling in the board rooms. As diversity is becoming widely debated in society and different occupations are becoming more gender equal, the boardrooms do not convert in the same past as other occupations. Some Scandinavian countries have gone to long measures to increase gender diversity in the corporate boardrooms. Furthermore, it can enrich to know if the measures taken give the anticipated outcome.  Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate whether there is any relationship between the profitability and the gender distribution among the board members of newly listed companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, Large Cap, Mid Cap and Small Cap. Methodology: The study approaches a quantitative method with multiple regressions analyses with separate control variables to examine the correlation between profitability and gender diversity in corporate boards on short-term and long-term. In addition, t-tests were performed to investigate differences between average returns. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that there is no statistically determined relationship between the gender diversity of the board and the stock return over the duration of a year from going public.