Taking it from the Top: How CEOs Influence (and Fail to Influence) their Boards

This article examines how chief executive officers (CEOs) influence their boards in symphony orchestra governance. Traditional governance research has studied the impact of structural factors on the CEO-board relationship, but less attention has been paid to the ways in which influence in these relationships is enacted, and to the role of the CEO in particular. Drawing on two intensive, longitudinal case studies, this article investigates the behavioural dynamics of the CEO-board relationship, identifying four key processes that underpin successful CEO influence: exploiting key relationships, managing impressions, managing information, and protecting formal authority. It concludes with an examination of the interrelated and embedded nature of these processes, and considers the implications for theory and research in organizational governance.