Another charity scandal, this time involving, Bothar, a much loved an organistion know for its whimsical “Are we there yet?!” Christmas campaign (Keena, 2021). However, many of the issues identified in the Turnhout (2018) report are of relevance here also: Clarity on the roles of the board and the roles of staff. Regular board skills … Continue reading
Category Archives: non-profit
The Role and Importance of the Board Chairperson
The successful application by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement(ODCE) to the High Court for the appointment of inspectors to Independent News and Media Group (INM) included evidence on the actions of the then Chairperson of INM, Lesley Buckley (Cantillon, 2018), highlighting the important role of the board Chairperson. So what is the … Continue reading
The Elf on the Shelf, Santa’s Whistleblowers
The Elf on the Shelf is a modern and increasingly popular Christmas tradition which began with a children’s book in the United States followed by a successful animated programme, features on NBC, the Tonight Show and even a float in Macy’s parade (Pinto & Nemorin 2015). According to the tradition, elves are assigned to homes … Continue reading
Managerial Hegemony – an under-researched phenomena
Agency Theory is the dominant theory underpinning corporate governance. The theory arises from economic theory and states that the separation of management from control in firms creates agency issues due to the conflicts of interest between owners(principals) and managers(agents) who are assumed to pursue self-interest (Fama & Jensen 1983; Eisenhardt 1989). This relationship enables information … Continue reading
The importance of the Board Chairperson in non-profits
The recent coverage of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association management crisis raises many governance questions (RTE 2017). Part of the crisis concerns a dispute as to who is the valid chairperson with two potential candidates. So how important is this issue, that is how important is the chairperson? And does it matter who is chairperson … Continue reading
GLEN: Good governance protects your most important asset, your reputation
Evidence of poor financial monitoring, managerial hegemony and overall failures of governance have brought “an abrupt and inglorious end to the story of an organisation which was instrumental in driving arguably the biggest social, legal and cultural change this generation has seen” (Linehan 2017). In 1988 homosexuality between consenting adults was a criminal offence and … Continue reading
boards / CEO / corporate governance / director / non-profit / state agency / state-owned enterprise / women
Corporate Boards and the impact of Women Directors
“Only 17% of directors are women in Irish companies”[1] “One in three women directors in Ireland say a glass ceiling exists in Irish business”[2] On International Women’s Day (March 8th) numbers like these grab headlines and prompt urgent discussion, but do not answer the question, does board level gender diversity make a difference. Continue reading
Another Charity Scandal – why does it keep happening?
The recent reports of misappropriation of funds by the founder and management of Console, a suicide prevention charity, are distressing for the workers, volunteers, service users, supporters and general public[1]. The impact may be felt by the entire charitable sector, as happened following the CRC revelations in 2014, where charitable donations declined overall[2]. Managers of … Continue reading
Corporate Governance 