Governance in the Digital Age

A Guide for the Modern Corporate Board Director

By: Brian Stafford, Dottie Schindlinger

Narrated by: Kyle Tait

Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

A new edition of the number one book in the human computer interaction field!

This book seeks to chart the technology-fueled changes taking place in the field of corporate governance and describes the impact these changes are having on boards and the enterprises they govern. It also describes what the future could look like once companies truly embrace the power of technology to change governance.

Additionally, this book will provide a set of "suggested action steps" for companies and their boards focused on ways they can leverage technology tools to enhance governance immediately. Through a review of the latest governance research, interviews with key thought leaders, and case studies of enterprises that have embraced governance technology, listeners will be armed with new insights and approaches they can take to enhance the work of their boards and senior leaders to reach new levels of performance.

©2019 Diligent Corp. (P)2019 Gildan Media, LLC

Good Overview

Was curious about board roles and this was a good overview from a Tech Perspective.

Governance in the digital age

Some useful insights into corporate governance generally with a focus on the digital space and how boards should consider board composition - skills, age, diversity, the structure of committees, organization structure, in order to adequately address technological risks, opportunities and innovation. Insights into how this relates to the type / sector of organization and where it is in its lifecycle - startup, growth stage, mature.

A book of platitudes

The book started off OK, but turned into a book of platitudes, e.g. directors should be diligent, should be respectful, should keep the best interest of the company and its shareholders always in mind. I'm making up the exact platitudes here, but they are directional correct. There was also a great deal of repetition; literally the same thing said three or four times at different places in the book. And despite claiming to have experience from hundreds if not thousands of companies and many interviews with directors, it seemed that less than a handful of directors were quoted. The same directors were quoted again and again. And the sophistication of the advice was betrayed by quoting from directors who sit on eight or nine boards. There is no way that a director can do an adequate job, let alone the tasks set by the book for directors, if they sit on eight or nine boards. That is one of the things that is wrong with current practices. I also found that the authors confused the role of director and CEO, suggesting the directors travel around to sit with employees, attend operational meetings and get involved in other areas that are the provence of the CEO. Finally, I found the division of all Boards into four types, i.e., foundational boards, structural boards, activist boards and future boards to be rather arbitrary and not particulary insightful or helpful.