Disaster in the Boardroom: Six Dysfunctions Everyone Should Understand

Corporate scandals are a global indictment of corporate governance systems, but little or nothing changes. Disaster in the Boardroom shows how boards can be better, using the 'six dysfunctions of the board analysis' to reveal their particularities and how they can be overcome. The book explores common attributes of scandals such as lack of independence from management, missing key voices, cultural amplification, diffusion of responsibility, rule-bound cultures, and groupthink and identifies ways to strengthen boards, improve their culture and competence, and give directors and others the power to take action.

Format: Hardback
Length: 287 pages
Publication date: 12 February 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Corporate scandals are a pervasive issue that transcends geographical boundaries and highlights the inadequacies of corporate governance systems worldwide. Despite their frequent occurrence, there has been minimal or no significant change in response to these crises. This book, Disaster in the Boardroom, aims to provide a solution by examining the underlying causes of these scandals and offering practical strategies for improvement.

Authors Peterson and Brown present in-depth case studies of major global corporations, including recent contemporary scandals associated with companies such as BP, Facebook, and Uber. They employ the unique and compelling "six dysfunctions of the board analysis" to reveal the specific characteristics of these scandals but also provide insights into how they can be overcome.

Through their analysis, the authors identify common attributes of scandals, such as lack of independence from management, the absence of key voices, cultural amplification, diffusion of responsibility, rule-bound cultures, and groupthink. They also propose ways to strengthen boards, enhance their culture and competence, and empower directors and other stakeholders to take proactive measures to prevent disasters from occurring.

Disaster in the Boardroom is a valuable resource for executives, board members, and anyone interested in understanding why boards fail and how to improve their effectiveness. It emphasizes the importance of pre-identifying and eradicating these boardroom dysfunctions to mitigate their negative impacts on society. By addressing these issues, we can strive for a more responsible and accountable corporate governance system that serves the interests of all stakeholders.

Weight: 629g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030916572
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022