CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When asked to name the most significant contributor to board effectiveness, a majority of directors surveyed in a new study from RHR International and Corporate Board Member cited group dynamics.
According to the study, 88% of the 292 directors who responded said the quality of boardroom dialogue and debate was key to board productivity. Conversely, lack of candor (77%) was determined to be the most likely factor to undermine a board.
"Mutual respect and a collaborative culture are the hallmarks of great boards," said Dr. Paul C. Winum, Global Practice Leader for RHR International's Board and CEO Services. "It is this foundation that allows the directors to ask management the tough questions, challenge the status quo and fully utilize the collective experience of the board to benefit the organization and its stakeholders."
Seventy-three percent of all directors surveyed concur that a better board is a substantial contributing factor to a company's success. Encouragingly, 87% confirmed that they have been a part of what they would consider to be a "great" board.
The survey identified the top four key indicators of board superiority as: Quality Dialogue, Diversity of Thought and Experience among Members, Effective Peer and Self-Evaluations, and Management of CEO Succession.
For details on these and other findings from the study, download the complete report.
ABOUT RHR INTERNATIONAL
We are a firm of management psychologists and consultants who work closely with top management to accelerate individual, team and business performance. We focus on four key areas of client need — Individual Assessment, Executive Development, Senior Team Effectiveness, and Board and CEO Services. We have been proven difference-makers for almost 70 years, unique in our combination of top management focus, psychologists' perspective and high-level business acumen.
RHR International has offices in Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Ill. For more information, please visit www.rhrinternational.com or follow us on the RHR blog site, Twitter and Facebook.
ABOUT CORPORATE BOARD MEMBER
Corporate Board Member, an NYSE Euronext company, is the leading information and education resource for senior officers and directors of publicly traded corporations, large private companies, and Global 1000 firms. The quarterly publication, Corporate Board Member magazine, provides readers with decision-making tools to deal with the strategic and corporate governance challenges confronting their boards. Corporate Board Member further extends its governance leadership through an online resource center, conferences, roundtables, and timely research.