Ada Demb

The corporate board: Confronting the paradoxes

Corporate governance and the role of boards is a topic hotly debated in boardrooms, associations and media across the industrialized world. However intense, discussions are largely national phenomena due to the widespread belief that boards cannot be compared on an international plane. The authors argue the contrary: that there is a great deal to be learned from such comparisons because boards in different countries are more similar than they are different. Insights are drawn from a four-year study the authors have conducted involving boards from eight countries. The full results have been published earlier this year by Oxford University Press, as The Corporate Board; Confronting the Paradoxes.

Change Dynamics and Leadership in Technology Implementation

Framing productive strategies for integrating technology into educational programs is challenging for colleges and universities. This study examines a campus-wide program for implementing technology to enhance teaching at a community college. It explores the leadership strategies used to promote technology use in teaching and learning and the change dynamics that emerged during a decade-long process.

The laptop alternative: student reactions and strategic implications

Abstract Designing the technology infrastructure for a college or university is a strategic decision that affects the quality of the educational experience for both students and faculty, and influences an institution’s image and its ability to attract students. This article reports the results of survey research which explored student reactions to a campus-wide laptop initiative at a small liberal arts institution. Student perceptions of the value of the laptop are examined in seven contexts: academic success, study habits, faculty utilization, the development of a learning community, personal use, future plans and cost. The results broaden our understanding of the relationship between technology and learning and will assist institutional decision-makers as they evaluate technology options.

Faculty perceptions of key factors in interprofessional education

Abstract Embedding interprofessional education (IPE) into academic programs presents structural, curricular and human factor challenges. Nurses and physicians comprise the dominant dyad in healthcare, and therefore nursing and medical faculty are key in guiding future IPE approaches. However, faculty experiences with IPE are rarely reported. This paper presents perceptions of medical and nursing faculty about key factors related to IPE for pre-licensure medical and nursing students. Semi-structured interviews with 32 faculty from three Midwest universities were analyzed thematically in this phenomenological study based on collaboration and cooperation theories. Findings clustered into six categories. Specific subthemes little discussed in the literature are addressed in detail. Study participants felt the most powerful interprofessional student experiences were authentic and faculty-facilitated, that constructive clinical environments were crucial, that curriculum design challenges included disparities between undergraduate and graduate education, and that leadership commitment to full-time and adjunct faculty engagement and development was imperative.

Reality Check: Faculty Involvement in Outreach & Engagement

A survey of 436 faculty shows the scope and nature of faculty participation in outreach and engagement, factors related to involvement, perceptions of institutional support, and types of changes they felt might expand involvement. The resulting conceptual model highlights the influence of professional, communal, and institutional factors on participation.

What Do They Master? Perceived Benefits of the Master's Thesis Experience.

This qualitative study explores the learning outcomes achieved by students undertaking a masters research thesis. Interviews were conducted with 24 alumni of a higher education/student affairs program who matriculated between 1986 and 1996. Program faculty, student support staff, and graduate assistantship supervisors were also interviewed. Students experienced the thesis process in eight clearly identifiable stages, with learning outcomes associated with each stage. Four areas of growth were attributed to completing a thesis: personal development, skills development, content expertise, and relationship development. Faculty advisors were identified as critical to the success of the thesis. Implications for student-advisor interaction are discussed.

Defining the role of the board

Abstract Alerted by a recent survey which indicated that several large American companies had developed mission statements for their boards, the authors decided to explore the prevalence of this practice. Seventy large international firms in 17 countries were surveyed to learn how many of them used such statements, and the nature of their content. This article outlines the results of the survey and puts the use of board mission statements in the context of a tool for improving the effectiveness of board activity.

A New Lens For Identifying Potential Adult Persistent Problem Drinkers During College

Because 20% of college high-risk drinkers continue this drinking behavior into adulthood, we used a development lens to compare the characteristics of high-risk college drinkers who matured out (time limited) with those who remained adult persistent. Respondents (4,428 undergraduate alumni over the age of 34) completed surveys about their drinking habits in college and their current drinking habits and personal characteristics. Exploratory factor analysis showed three components (20 items) that distinguished time limited from adult persistent drinkers and that correlated with student development theories related to drinking behavior, reasons for drinking and matters of control, intervention or consequences. Results suggest directions for prevention and intervention programs, and research to extend these findings.

Defining responsible ownership: Cross-national persperctives

As corporate ownership patterns change, institutional investors across the industrialized world are experimenting to find behaviors consistent with the responbibilities of their new ownership roles. Ada Demb and Brenda Richey explore the potential corporate governance role of these investors with a discussion of the major factors affecting both the logic and action of institutional owners. A comprehensive framework for cross national analysis of these issues is developed, with special emphasis on the previously unexplored issue of CEO leadership. The article concludes with a discussion of the practical questions these factors raise for institutional executives and an identification of those factors that present the most promising areas for future inquiry

Subsidiary company boards reconsidered

The boards of subsidiary companies are an underexploited resource for global companies. While many executives feel that these boards should exist only on paper, the authors demonstrate that the boards of subsidiary companies offer real opportunities for adding value. A range of roles are described for four types of boards: nominal, paper, devolved and partnership. Many pressures will take boards toward the more robust roles. Companies should establish mandates and structure the membership of the boards of these subsidiary companies consistent with their potential contribution to the bottom line.