GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES
Governance, management and performance This article from CMAE Conference speaker Ed Chapman CMDip is based on his research project, ‘The effect of governance structures on management practices and organisational performance: a survey of golf clubs in Great Britain and Ireland.’
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his is an abstract of the research project I undertook, conducted as the final paper in a Master’s degree in International Business Leadership and Management. I hope you enjoy reading the article as much as enjoyed conducting the research, and I’m sure some of the findings will surprise you while others will reconfirm your own beliefs and experiences. Abstract This research focused on governance structures, management practices, and organisational performance of golf clubs in GB & Ireland. This was done through a review of relevant academic literature combined with the collection and analysis of
empirical data, a questionnaire and interviews with club managers. The findings from this research provide evidence that the performance of golf clubs (GC) can benefit from modernised governance structures and that all types of golf clubs can benefit from a for-profit mindset. The main conclusions drawn from this study are that golf clubs need to select their board members based on skill and expertise, and have a strategic plan in place to protect the future of the club. What did the literature review reveal? There were three key findings from the literature review – a process where you critically read academic papers on relevant topics and then synthe-
sise the findings – that this article will focus on. 1. Different governance structures had no correlation to board performance, however, structural dysfunction and both input and process variables were significantly correlated with board effectiveness. What were these variables? 1.1. Staff communication channels to feedback on how strategies and policies are being implemented and their performance. 1.2. Obtaining members’ views, i.e. surveys. 1.3. Clear roles and responsibilities for board mem-
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