Board Governance : A revised Swiss-European Perspective

Over the last two decades, the interest in research on the quality of board work has grown significantly. Associated with that increase is the extensive public discourse on the actual contribution of boards to their respective stakeholders.

The present book chapter provides for a revised Swiss-European perspective on board governance by disclosing that variety rather than unity meets international standards. The diverseness of board structures across Europe, along with a variable selection of underlying board theories, inter alia impede the provision of universally valid board data. As a result, the gap between perceptions of board performance remains substantial. A throughout comparison of the variation of diverse board systems along with an integral understanding of underlying board theories, however, are 'sine qua non' to an ameliorated understanding of the current governance transformation.

It is argued that board work should be revalued on actual verification rather than on general preconceptions. Ordinary compliance in line with legal and regulatory requirements are no longer sufficient for boards to meet the varying expectations. Benchmark opportunities might, for example, provide opening platforms for individual board evaluation and challenge common board working procedures.