Leadership and Governance

In a world of globalization, technological innovation, and (disruptive) societal challenges, organizations need leaders who can navigate complex governance structures and understand the dynamics that influence individual and collective decision-making. Effective leadership and governance are essential to helping organizations adapt, innovate and succeed in a complex, fast-changing and interconnected world. Thus, Leadership and Governance is one of the Faculty of Economics and Business' (FEB) interdisciplinary themes.

Through teaching and research, FEB aims to contribute to an understanding of macro-level governance frameworks and micro-level leadership processes. This dual approach enables us to shed light on the broader implications of governance and leadership, while also paying attention to the conditions that shape behavior, decision-making and organizational dynamics.

In our research and education, we take an interdisciplinary approach, exploring the ethical, strategic, and operational dimensions of leadership and governance. Our research not only advances the field of management and leadership research, but also has practical impact, by generating applicable knowledge for organizations and policy makers alike. Through teaching and research, FEB aims to foster sustainable growth in organizations and help them face global challenges and uncertainties.

Governance

Since the Enron scandal in 2001 and the financial crisis in 2008, the apparent lack of effectiveness of boards has been the core of heated debates. As a consequence, to avoid more corporate problems, many new regulatory systems have been put into place to control decision making by corporate boards. However, ongoing corporate scandals and public discussions about board remuneration decisions illustrate that, despite increased regulation, boards are still not always effective in managing their organizations.

Therefore, identifying the conditions under which boards thrive remains an important question. Another central aim of the theme Leadership and Governance is to examine the conditions that will make boards effective. FEB aims to contribute valuable knowledge on why boards are not always effective in meeting shareholder demands, and which conditions will help them to improve their functioning.

More information

Read more about the focus area Leadership and Governance for students on our education pages.