ABSTRACT
A board of directors is a group of individuals who make joint decisions and act together to govern the organisation. As with any group, how directors interact with one another and with the group can affect the work of the group. This chapter uses the term group dynamics – defined as “a shared characteristic of a group that results from group interaction and cannot be structurally regulated, enforced, or implemented” (Schoenberg, Cuskelly & Auld, 2016, p. 2) – to describe these interactions. The very nature of governance makes group dynamics an important consideration as boards are expected to deliberate and debate prior to reaching a decision and acting with one voice (Brown, 2013; Nicholson, Newton & McGregor-Lowndes, 2012). The expectation of and the need for interaction between directors means group dynamics are a fundamental part of how boards enact their responsibility to govern.
