This study is an intensive examination of the role, position, and perceptions of women school board members in Texas as they perceive them. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions which women school board members have concerning their role, function, and relationships as they serve on school boards in Texas and to determine if sex prejudice does exist. There were eight basic questions to which the study sought answers. The findings indicate that the perceptions of women board members are not influenced by age, marital status, parental status, educational level, and years of experience. They also revealed that only a small minority of the Texas school board women responding had experienced instances of sex discrimination. Doubt was expressed through the responses of the women as to whether or not superintendents encourage the election of a man as board president. Size of the school district was found to have no effect on the number of women board members serving. It was found to be a factor in whether or not a woman was designated chairman of a board committee as only the larger districts were likely to have women serving in this capacity.

The study, tenth in a series sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the National School Boards Association, proposed to determine salient factors in the recruitment and selection of school board members and, further, how these factors related to selected demographic and personal variables and/or the method (elected or appointed) by which school board members' were selected. In addition, the study examined board members' preferences for a trustee versus delegate role in relation to their communities. The study utilized descriptive research methodology and survey technique to gather data from a national sample of school board members. A stratified random sample of board members was selected from the list of subscribers to The American School Board Journal. The survey was designed to collect attitudinal, personal, and demographic information about school board members and obtain information regarding selected characteristics of their school board and factors related to their recruitment and selection to that board. Appropriate descriptive research methodology and statistical treatments were utilized. Findings were related to six major research questions as well as historical information and previous research on this topic. The study's results described respondents by region of the United States, enrollment size, type of community, sex, race, age, educational level, occupation, length of board service, size of school board, coterminousness of boundaries, and fiscal relationship of the school districts. Ten factors related to the recruitment and selection of school board members were described including prior community service, sources of encouragement, reason for seeking membership, representative structure, political status, format and competition, the campaign process, selection, recall, and future intentions. Data were analyzed to provide a descriptive summary and determine differences according to method of selection (elected versus appointed) and 12 variables related to demographic, personal, and school board characteristics. Differences between elected and appointed board members were viewed as representing statistically significant as well as "true" phenomenological differences. Data revealed a preference for a trustee role suggesting that the majority of school board members sought, were selected, and were motivated to represent the interests of their communities. / Ed. D.

The major purpose of this study was to ascertain the views of school board members concerning retrenchment in public school budgets. School board members make budget decisions within a framework of frequently competing priorities of increased pressures for improved school outcomes and relatively decreased revenues as a result of the current economic recession. Data were gathered from a national sample of school board members to determine what, if any, budget cuts had been made by local boards in their current operating budgets and what choices board members would make if cuts are required in the next budget. These data were then cross-tabulated with demographic variables. Descriptive research methods were employed in this study. A stratified, random sample of school board members was identified from the list of subscribers to The American School Board Journal. Of the 23,958 board members in the population, 5271 or 22 % were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire. The response rate was 21%. The study was sponsored by The American School Board Journal, published by the National School Boards Association, the national professional organization for school board members in the United States. The study revealed that funding had decreased for 47.5% of the respondents, and that as a result of funding shortages 56.3% of boards had reduced or eliminated previously funded programs. Specific cuts within the categories of positions, programs and services, salaries, and products were detailed. Meaningful differences related to the reductions were noted in relation to the variables of region of the country, type of community, and student enrollment. If further cuts are required in next year's budgets the most likely line items for reduction were school board development, athletic programs, extracurricular programs, and fringe benefits. The items identified as least likely to be reduced were regular education programs, teacher positions, teacher salaries, and textbooks. / Ed. D.

The major purpose of this study was to determine school board members’ perceptions about violence in their school districts. The study asked school board members if they thought violence was a problem in their district, how violence affected their school district and about the effectiveness of policies, educational programs and other measures enacted to control violence. Data were collected regarding the frequency of board members’ perceptions that violence was a problem and their perceptions as to the effect of violence in their district. Data were collected to determine board members perception of the effectiveness of programs and measures their district had taken in an effort to control violence. Data were cross tabulated by size of school district, region of the country and type of school district. Descriptive research methods were employed in this study. A stratified, random sample of school board members was identified from the list of school board member subscribers to The American School Board Journal. Of the 21,655 board members in the population, 5,847 or approximately 27% were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire. The response rate was 17.9%. The study was sponsored by The American School Board Journal. The study revealed that while the majority of board members who responded to the survey do not feel violence is a problem in their district, the board members who feel that violence is a problem represent approximately 75% of the students in the United States. The majority of board members from the southern and pacific regions of the country perceive violence as a problem. The board members from the southern and pacific regions are more heavily involved in programs designed to control violence. Of note is the fact that in virtually all cases and cross tabulations, if a school district had enacted a plan to control violence, the plan was viewed by the majority of board members to be effective. / Ed. D.

The major purpose of this study was to study the perceptions and expectations of school board members regarding turnover in the superintendency of the public school systems. Data were gathered regarding the frequency of superintendency turnover and compared to board turnover. The study sought to collect data concerning board satisfaction with the superintendent, priority issues the board expected the superintendent to address, the kind of experience board members preferred in their superintendent, the ideal length of superintendency tenure, and at what point school board members think that a superintendent's contract should be terminated. These data were then crosstabbed with selected demographic variables. Descriptive research methodology was utilized in this study. A nationwide sample of school board members was identified from a list of 53,247 board members provided by the National School Boards Association. The study was completed using a stratified random sampling technique by state. Of the 94,716 board members in the population, 11,992 or 12.6% were surveyed. The response rate was 18%. The study was sponsored by The American School Board Journal, published by the National School Boards Association, the national professional organization for school board members in the United States. / Ed. D.

Chapter 1 raises the research question guiding this study. Do relationships that board members of nonprofits have to officials in other agencies affect the likelihood of acquiring grants? The objective of this study was to examine the role that relationship ties played in the nonprofit sector’s ability to receive grants. Chapter 2 ties the research agenda to existing research. Nonprofit organizational and financial behavior was explained in terms of resource dependence. Since nonprofit organizations face uncertainty in resource allocation, the behavior of the organization and the board members change in reaction to uncertainty. The relationships that board members possess serve as social capital for the nonprofit through a series of formal and informal ties. Chapter 3 provides a theoretical framework for measuring relationship ties as well as other variables to funding. Ties that were measured included previous work experience in government agencies, nonprofit agencies, for-profit organizations, and universities. Relationships ties also included previous appointment to a nonprofit board and membership in professional associations. Additional variables such as financial and organizational measures were considered that had an effect on funding likelihood. Expected funding then became a function of all of these variables. This framework led to the hypothesis that nonprofits with a greater number of relationship ties, controlling for appropriate variables, will receive more funds from a government agency. Chapter 4 describes the methods used. The sample of organizations included 176 nonprofit community healthcare organizations over the span of five fiscal years. Board member names, financial and organizational data, and relationship ties were collected as they were expected to affect funding outcomes. Information on relationships was obtained from three sources: LinkedIn profiles, Who’s Who profiles, and agency websites. Financial and organizational variables were obtained from nonprofit organizations’ 990 tax forms. Chapter 5 details the analyses and the results from the collected data. Conducted analyses included a series of multiple regressions, a probit regression, and fixed-effects and between-effects panel data regression models. The findings partially supported the hypothesis. While there were some relationship ties that were correlated to anticipated funding, the effects were small across analyses. Financial and organizational variables overshadowed the effects of relationship ties. There was evidence of mediation in that a number of variables were significant only if board members were in an organization receiving funds prior to the examined time period. Ties to other nonprofits mattered only when an agency already had funding. Chapter 6 concludes with possible explanations, policy implications, and further directions.

This study compares present policies and procedures for selection of school board members in districts of The Council of Great City Schools with those advocated by board members, professional educators, and representatives of lay organizations. To determine present selection policies for school board members, a questionnaire was sent to the business manager of each participating district. Replies were received from twenty-one of the districts and presented in tables including number and percentage of respondents for each item. To determine opinions of board members, professional educators, and members of lay organizations, a thirty-five-item questionnaire was mailed to 190 board members, 22 school superintendents, 19 college professors, 19 PTA representatives, 22 NAACP representatives, and 11 chamber of commerce representatives. After a return of 200 usable questionnaires, data were presented in separate tables including number of respondents and percentage of respondents. Using the contingency coefficient technique for statistical analysis, null hypotheses were formulated to test relationships between the opinion of respondent groups and selection policies and procedures actually in use. The chi square test was applied to test the relationships, with the .05 level of significance as the criterion. Results were tabulated collectively. Tabulated results indicate that board members should be elected at general elections on a non-partisan basis representing at-large districts, should serve four-year, overlapping, unrestricted terms, should meet local legal requirements, should receive some type of compensation, and should not represent occupational and other special interest groups. Based on this survey, it is recommended that a similar study be made in districts with less population than those districts studied to determine if policies and'procedures for selection of school board members in the districts are comparable.

Syfte: I takt med att konsumenter och övriga intressenters medvetenhet ökar ställs det högre krav på företagens sociala prestation (CSP) för att de ska förbli framgångsrika. Dessa ökade krav har bidragit till nya restriktioner och lagar om rapportering av icke-finansiell information, för vilken företagens styrelse är ansvariga. De ökade kraven på rapportering innebär även att vissa större företag ska rapportera om mångfald. Denna studie syftar undersöka sambandet mellan andelen kvinnor i styrelsen och CSP samt huruvida nationella kulturella särdrag har en modererande effektpå sambandet. Metod: Studien tillämpar en positivistisk forskningsfilosofi med en hypotetisk-deduktiv ansats. Studien har en kvantitativ forskningsstrategi och en longitudinell forskningsdesign som genomförts med data för sexårsperioden 2012-2017 för 673 publika europeiska företag. Studien bygger på sekundärdata som hämtats från databasen Thomson Reuters Datastream, som sedan analyserats i statistikprogrammet IBM SPSS. Resultat & slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att det finns ett positivt samband mellan andelen kvinnliga styrelseledamöter och CSP, samt att nationella kulturella särdrag har en modererande effekt på detta samband. Resultatet indikerar att kvinnors påverkan i styrelsen när det kommer till CSR-aktiviteter påverkas av nationella kulturella särdrag. Examensarbetets bidrag: Denna studie bidrar ur ett teoretiskt perspektiv till den företagsekonomiska forskningen genom att undersöka nationella kulturella särdrags effekt på sambandet mellan andelen kvinnliga styrelseledamöter och CSP och därmed öka kunskapen kring ämnet. Denna studie bidrar med praktiskt viktig information för företag som vill förbättra sin sociala prestation. Förslag till vidare forskning: Vi har i denna studie endast undersökt kulturens modererande effekt på sambandet mellan andelen kvinnor i styrelsen och total CSP. Det vore intressant att se effekten på respektive dimension av CSP för att kunna avgöra om det är någon skillnad mellan dem. Det finns även möjlighet att genomföra en liknande studie men där länder från fler världsdelar inkluderas. / Aim: As the awareness of consumers and other stakeholders increases, higher demands on Corporate Social Performance (CSP) are required to keep the companies successful. These increased requirements have contributed to new restrictions and law on reporting non-financial information, for which corporate governance is responsible. The increased reporting requirement also mean that some major companies should report on their diversity. This study aims at investigating the relationship between female board members and CSP as well as whether national cultural features have a moderating effect on the relationship. Method: The study applies a positivistic research philosophy with a hypothetical-deductible approach. The study has a quantitative research strategy and a longitudinal research design carried out with data for the six-year period 2012-2017 for 673 public European companies. The study is based on secondary data retrieved from the Thomson Reuters Datastream, which is then analyzed in the IBM SPSS statistics program. Result & Conclusion: The studys results show that there is a positive link between female board members and CSP, and that national cultural features have a moderating effect on this relationship. The result indicates that women's power in the board when it comes to CSR activities is influenced by national cultural features. Contribution of the thesis: This study contributes from a theoretical perspective to business research by examining the impact of national cultural features on the relationship between female board members and CSP, thereby increasing knowledge about the subject. This study provides practically important information for companies that want to improve their social performance. Suggestion for future research: In this study, we have studied only the moderating effect of cultural on the relationship between female board members and total CSP. It would be interesting to see the effect on the respective dimension of CSP in order to determine if there is any difference between them. There is also the possibility of conducting a similar study but including countries from more continents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the turnover of incumbent board members and turnover of the district's superintendent. Research questions asked were: 1.What are the turnover rates within five years for: a. superintendents? b. incumbent board members? c. superintendents when an incumbent board member fails to be reelected? 2. What are the factors associated with board member turnover? 3. What are the factors associated with superintendent turnover? 4. Are there variables which may be used together to discriminate between categories of superintendent turnover? 5. What is the relationship between district size and number of schools in the district to superintendent and board member turnover? 6. What is the relationship of geographic location of the districts to superintendent and board member turnover? 7. What is the relationship of the type of district, elementary, high school, or union high school, to superintendent and board member turnover? A questionnaire was sent to the superintendents of all school districts in Oregon governed by five-member school boards. The results obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using frequency distributions, percentages, means, standard deviations, and content analysis. All hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. The following conclusions were based upon the data collected and analyzed in the study. The total number of elections impacted both board member and superintendent longevity. The total number of changes on the board dramatically affected superintendent longevity. The superintendent's relationship with the board did not affect superintendent turnover until the political climate in the district became active. Political climate played a crucial role in both superintendent and board member turnover. Recommendations for further research include: (a) an in-depth study of what constitutes a contested election, (b) a study of the differences between large and small school districts that may impact superintendent and board member turnover is recommended, (c) a study of the role of the board chair in superintendent turnover, and (d) a study of the difference in superintendent turnover between superintendents who also serve as principals and those who do not.

Familjeägda företag har oftast en styrelse bestående av ägare och i vissa fall, någon eller några familjemedlemmar till ägaren. Detta kan bidra till att styrelsen inte når sin fulla potential. Ett flertal forskare inom verksamhetsstyrning och familjeföretag argumenterar för vikten av att tillsätta externa ledamöter till familjeföretags styrelser. Detta verkar dock inte vara helt oproblematiskt. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om det är motiverat för ett litet eller medelstort familjeföretag att tillsätta externa ledamöter i sin styrelse. Den empiriska datan har inhämtats dels från en kvantitativ datainsamling i form av en enkätundersökning, dels från en kvalitativ datainsamling i form av sex djupgående intervjuer med ägare av familjeföretag, interna och externa styrelseledamöter samt en person med mångårig erfarenhet av styrelsearbete. En slutsats från denna studie är att externa ledamöter kan innebära en kompetenshöjning som kan vara nyttig för många företag, dock är det viktigt för en ägare av ett familjeföretag att veta vad denne vill få ut av en extern ledamot. Vidare kan externa ledamöter bidra med en objektivitet och ett breddat nätverk vilket talar för att det skulle vara motiverat att tillsätta externa ledamöter i familjeföretag. Samtidigt har dock externa ledamöter en sämre insyn i företaget jämfört med interna ledamöter, och de är därför inte alltid kapabla att fatta de beslut som är mest gynnsamma för verksamheten. / The family-owned companies usually have a board consisting of owners and, in some cases, one or more family members of the owner. Because of this the board may not reach its full potential. A number of researchers in operations management and family business argues for the importance of adding external directors to the family business boards. This may however not be entirely unproblematic. The purpose of this study was to research whether it is relevant for a small or medium-sized family business to appoint outside directors on its board. The empirical data has been collected from a quantitative data collection in the form of a questionnaire, and from a qualitative data collection in the form of six in-depth interviews with owners of family businesses, internal and external board members and a person with many years of experience from board work. One conclusion from this study is that externally appointed directors can bring competence and experience to the board that may be useful for many companies. However, it is important for an owner of a family business to know what they want to get out of an external board member. Furthermore, external members contribute with objectivity and an expanded network, which suggests that it would be relevant to appoint external directors of the family business. However, external board members often have less insight into the company compared to internal board members, and therefore are not always better equipped to make the decisions that are most favorable to the business.