Balancing Control and Coaching in CSO Governance : A Paradox Perspective on Board Behavior

Kreutzer, Karin; Jacobs, Claus Dietrich (2011). Balancing Control and Coaching in CSO Governance : A Paradox Perspective on Board Behavior. Voluntas, 22(4), pp. 613-638. Dordrecht NL: Springer 10.1007/s11266-011-9212-6

[img]
Preview
Text
Kreutzer_Jacobs_2011_Voluntas.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Publisher holds Copyright.

Download (1MB) | Preview

How can governance of civil society organizations be conceptualized more adequately by accounting for the dual and simultaneous requirements of controlling and coaching in board behavior? Empirically, we seem to agree that effective governance of a civil society organization is crucial to its sustained viability. Conceptually, however, we observe a lack of consensus on how to best conceptualize CSO governance. By critically juxtaposing two major theoretical lenses to conceptualize governance, namely agency and stewardship theory, we identify a number of challenges conceptualizing board-management relations that deserve our attention. While agency theory privileges controlling behavior, stewardship theory emphasizes the coaching behavior of boards. The purpose of this paper is to offer a concept of governance that is informed by a paradox perspective advancing a subtler, more adequate conceptualization of board governance that accounts for the often conflicting demands on CSO governance. Drawing on a longitudinal interpretive case study, we exemplify our propositions empirically. The paper concludes with discussing the implications of our argument for CSO governance research and practice.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

11 Centers of Competence > KPM Center for Public Management

UniBE Contributor:

Jacobs, Claus Dietrich

Subjects:

300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 350 Public administration & military science

ISSN:

0957-8765

Publisher:

Springer

Language:

English

Submitter:

Claus Dietrich Jacobs

Date Deposited:

18 Jul 2011 12:31

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:51

Publisher DOI:

10.1007/s11266-011-9212-6

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.76127

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/76127

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback