Economic Thought and Practice, , 2026.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.17818/EMIP/2025/49
UNPACKING THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF SUPERVISORY BOARDS: A BOARDROOM DYNAMICS PERSPECTIVE
Darko Tipurić
orcid.org/0000-0001-8785-0179
; University in Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
Lana Cindrić
; University in Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
Zlatko Žuro
orcid.org/0009-0003-2838-4851
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This paper examines how boardroom dynamics influence the supervisory board's strategic task performance. To investigate this relationship, a mixed-method empirical study was conducted on 44 supervisory boards from Croatia. The study focused on three distinct boardroom processes: cognitive conflict, effort norms, and use of knowledge and skills. Controlling for ownership concentration, quantitative research confirmed the positive effect of all three examined boardroom processes on board involvement in strategic issues. A qualitative study based on interviews with 7 board members provided a more nuanced insight into this relationship. Namely, our results further highlighted the importance of board members' informal relationships as well as the importance of board members' previous work-related experience in strengthening the effects of this process. With this study, we add to the growing discourse on demystifying the black box of board processes by providing unique insight from the two-tier board model.
Keywords
supervisory board; boardroom dynamics; board task performance
Hrčak ID:
339491
URI
Publication date:
24.11.2025.
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