Board Competency and Governance Responsibilities of Selected Higher Education Institutions: Basis for Board Development Program

Abstract

The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate the board competency
and governance responsibilities practices of selected higher education institutions
in Southern Asia-Pacific territory and to determine their relationship to governance
responsibility performance. The study used purposive sampling with questionnaire
and a supplementary interview to gather the data from 115 respondents composed
of board officers, board members, and school representatives. The empirical
evidence has shown the positive relationship of six competency factors, namely:
strategic, contextual, analytical, political, educational, and interpersonal to
governance responsibilities such as: fiduciary, strategic, and generative. The board
competency factors were appropriate variables to measure governance
responsibility performance. Two consistent variables of educational and strategic
competencies emerged as strong predictors to influence governance
responsibilities. It was implied that the school and board leadership should commit
to a strategy to educate the board and to consciously create opportunities for trustee
education. Seven relevant themes emerged from the interview that served as
guidelines to enhance board competency and governance responsibilities namely,
orientation, competency qualification requirement, strategic planning, board
education, evaluation of the president, generative leadership, and board evaluation.
The diversity of gender and position of members in the board revealed a significant
difference towards board function where male and female board members played
an important role in governance responsibility. The intervention of the demographic
variables showed a significant challenge to SDA board of trustees to improve the
representation of gender in the trusteeship and to empower those members in key
positions for the advantage of the school. Consequently, a recommended guideline
for the development program was proposed to enhance board competency and
governance responsibility performance.