The changing role of the supervisory board chairman: the case of the Netherlands (1997-2007)

Over the last ten years, the corporate governance context in most Western countries has changed as a result of irregularities, increased regulation, heightened societal expectations and shareholder activism. This paper examines the impact of the changing context on the role of chairmen of supervisory boards in the Netherlands. Based on a combination of thirty semi-structured interviews with board members of leading Dutch corporations and secondary data on the position of supervisory board chairmen at the top-100 listed firms in the Netherlands, the study reveals that board chairmen have become increasingly involved in both their control and service roles. While the demographics (i.e., age, tenure, gender and nationality) of chairmen have hardly changed over the last decade, chairmen are spending considerably more time on boards and committees, have reduced the number of board interlocks and have become more active on the forefront of the corporate governance discussion. The paper highlights several implications for scholars and practitioners.

Why do family firms congregate in certain industries?

We propose that family firm involvement and performance across industries is not random and is related to specific industry conditions. Using the population of listed companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange over the period 1997-2007 we find that family firms are more involved in industries with more fixed assets, consistent with the long-term view of family owners, and in industry conditions that make it potentially easier for family owners to consume private benefits of control. Overall, we document a positive relationship between family firm involvement and performance, which indicates a net advantage for family firm shareholders in industries where family firms congregate. However, we also find that family firm performance is negatively affected when family firms use more debt and maintain a higher control wedge than their industry counterparts.

Developing a model of embedding academic numeracy in university programs : a case study from nursing

This is a study of the academic numeracy of nursing students. This study develops a theoretical model for the design and delivery of university courses in academic numeracy. The following objectives are addressed: 1. To investigate nursing students' current knowledge of academic numeracy; 2. To investigate how nursing students’ knowledge and skills in academic numeracy can be enhanced using a developmental psychology framework; and 3. To utilise data derived from meeting objectives 1 and 2 to develop a theoretical model to embed academic numeracy in university programs. This study draws from Valsiner’s Human Development Theory (Valsiner, 1997, 2007). It is a quasi-experimental intervention case study (Faltis, 1997) and takes a multimethod approach using pre- and post-tests; observation notes; and semi-structured teaching sessions to document a series of microgenetic studies of student numeracy. Each microgenetic study is centered on the lived experience of students becoming more numerate. The method for this section is based on Vygotsky’s double stimulation (Valsiner, 2000a; 2007). Data collection includes interviews on students’ past experience with mathematics; their present feelings and experiences and how these present feelings and experiences are transformed. The findings from this study have provided evidence that the course developed for nursing students, underpinned by an appropriate framework, does improve academic numeracy. More specifically, students improved their content knowledge of and confidence in mathematics in areas that were directly related to their degree. The study used Valsiner’s microgenetic approach to development to trace the course as it was being taught and two students’ personal academic numeracy journeys. It highlighted particularly troublesome concepts, then outlined scaffolding and pathways used to develop understanding. This approach to academic numeracy development was summarised into a four-faceted model at the university, program, course and individual level. This model can be applied successfully to similar contexts. Thus the thesis advances both theory and practice in this under-researched and under-theorised area.