Culture as Governance and the Link with Performance: The Evolving Role of the Corporate Board

Evidence of the relationship between strong culture and strong organizational performance is now incontrovertible. It is forcing many of us out of the darkness into a more progressive reality. The implications for corporate directors are profound. Why have we been—and why do so many of us remain—resistant to embracing culture as a strategic priority?

The focus of Culture as Governance and the Link With Performance: The Evolving Role of the Corporate Board is on culture at the board level and the link with performance. This is being defined as social-based governance. The social environment, or what can be described as culture, can be thought of as an informal system of governance. Importantly, the dynamics involved must be considered in the context of the total organization, as the board is but a subset of the organization.