Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-3-2008

Abstract

According to Taylor, Chait, and Holland (1996) and Carver (1997), boards of nonprofit organizations spend too much of their limited available time pursuing trivial decisions. This paper examines how boards of high-performing professional societies tackle big issues. Using a decision theoretic approach, the paper conceptualizes bold decision making as involving a particular decision space (Papadakis, Lioukas, & Chambers, 1998), a set of decision steps (DeSanctis & Gallupe, 1987; Nutt, 1984), and group processes associated with bounded rationality (Boland & Pondy, 1986; Simon, 1991). This framework is measured against findings from fieldwork, resulting in a revised conceptual model and general support for the ability of decision theory to provide insights into effective board functioning.

Keywords

leadership

Rights

© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Department/Center

Design & Innovation

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