COVID-19 Governance Challenges: The Board’s Role in COVID-19 Crisis Management

Abstract

This chapter explores the experiences of a group of New Zealand-based organizations from a range of industries and sectors in responding to the challenges wrought by COVID-19. Focusing on the board of directors, we relate the lived experiences of CEOs, board chairs and directors in handling the crisis. In a purposively sampled set of interviews, we explored their priorities and practical actions and strategies in addressing the crisis. The emerging themes highlight their immediate responses, their longer term plans and the key importance of relationships both internal to the organization and externally, to help boards and CEOs to manage the crisis. We conclude with the implications for other firms and organizations of the increasing recognition that taking care of the interests of key stakeholders may not just be the right thing to do but is also in the interests and to the benefit of the organization it-self. We suggest further research on developing our understanding of the role of boards and board members.

Keywords: Boards, directors, relationships, stakeholders, decision making

JEL Classification: M10, M14