Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO
Trust is a central feature in corporate-governance theory and practice. While trust is advanced as a motivational factor in dominant organisational theories and practices, it is conspicuously absent in corporate-governance literature. At one extreme, scholars discount trust, which leads to theori...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/74829 Mthombeni, M 2018, Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/74829> |
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ndltd-netd.ac.za-oai-union.ndltd.org-up-oai-repository.up.ac.za-2263-748292020-06-04T03:16:28Z Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO Mthombeni, Morris Konar, Len ichelp@gibs.co.za Chizema, Amon UCTD Trust is a central feature in corporate-governance theory and practice. While trust is advanced as a motivational factor in dominant organisational theories and practices, it is conspicuously absent in corporate-governance literature. At one extreme, scholars discount trust, which leads to theories that characterise the relationship between governance actors as goal-conflicted and as something that potentially exposes organisations to distress. At the other, scholars approach trust as a given and characterise governance actors as locked in mutually beneficial relationships that inspire trust, even if organisational distress also occurs. Neither extreme characterisation has been useful in explaining how governance actors organise themselves to avoid or escape financial distress. Using a multiple-casestudy method, underpinned by a critical-realist perspective, this study provides an explicit exploration of trust and its complement—distrust—and explains the complexity of the trust relationship between governance actors such as chief executive officers, board chairmen, and board directors. This study seeks to demonstrate that distrust, as characterised within agency theory, and trust, as portrayed within stewardship theory, detract from understanding effective board task-performance. Some scholars have relied on proxy variables such as board composition and financial performance to assess board task-performance, but this often leads to weak theoretical explanations. Moreover, this study specifies how optimal levels of trust and distrust could explain effective board task-performance, which scholars have shown partially contributes to financial performance. This study proposes that optimal trust and distrust between governance actors occurs where levels of trust and distrust are simultaneously high. This study develops a theory of moderated-trust governance that is underpinned by generative processes with supporting propositions. Therefore, this study contributes to literature on both trust and corporate governance. Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) PhD Unrestricted 2020-06-02T10:06:29Z 2020-06-02T10:06:29Z 2019 2018 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/2263/74829 Mthombeni, M 2018, Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/74829> en © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. University of Pretoria |
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UCTD Mthombeni, Morris Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO |
description |
Trust is a central feature in corporate-governance theory and practice. While trust is
advanced as a motivational factor in dominant organisational theories and practices, it is
conspicuously absent in corporate-governance literature. At one extreme, scholars discount
trust, which leads to theories that characterise the relationship between governance actors
as goal-conflicted and as something that potentially exposes organisations to distress. At
the other, scholars approach trust as a given and characterise governance actors as locked
in mutually beneficial relationships that inspire trust, even if organisational distress also
occurs. Neither extreme characterisation has been useful in explaining how governance
actors organise themselves to avoid or escape financial distress. Using a multiple-casestudy method, underpinned by a critical-realist perspective, this study provides an explicit
exploration of trust and its complement—distrust—and explains the complexity of the trust
relationship between governance actors such as chief executive officers, board chairmen,
and board directors.
This study seeks to demonstrate that distrust, as characterised within agency theory, and
trust, as portrayed within stewardship theory, detract from understanding effective board
task-performance. Some scholars have relied on proxy variables such as board composition
and financial performance to assess board task-performance, but this often leads to weak
theoretical explanations. Moreover, this study specifies how optimal levels of trust and
distrust could explain effective board task-performance, which scholars have shown partially
contributes to financial performance. This study proposes that optimal trust and distrust
between governance actors occurs where levels of trust and distrust are simultaneously
high. This study develops a theory of moderated-trust governance that is underpinned by
generative processes with supporting propositions. Therefore, this study contributes to
literature on both trust and corporate governance. === Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. === Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) === PhD === Unrestricted |
author2 |
Konar, Len |
author_facet |
Konar, Len Mthombeni, Morris |
author |
Mthombeni, Morris |
author_sort |
Mthombeni, Morris |
title |
Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO |
title_short |
Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO |
title_full |
Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO |
title_fullStr |
Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO |
title_full_unstemmed |
Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO |
title_sort |
towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a ceo |
publisher |
University of Pretoria |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/74829 Mthombeni, M 2018, Towards a moderated-trust governance theory : explaining the dimensional structure of trust and distrust between a board of directors and a CEO, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/74829> |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT mthombenimorris towardsamoderatedtrustgovernancetheoryexplainingthedimensionalstructureoftrustanddistrustbetweenaboardofdirectorsandaceo |
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