Directors’ Perceptions of Multiple Concurrent Board Service

Abstract

SYNOPSIS We interview 21 U.S. company directors regarding the perceived benefits and costs of serving on multiple boards concurrently, leveraging the reputational and busyness perspectives on board service. Multiple concurrent board service provides directors with general and specific learning benefits that can carry across industries, reflecting the reputational perspective. The directors recognize but often downplay concerns with overall workload challenges; such costs are the focus of the busyness perspective. We extend the busyness perspective in two ways. First, we find evidence that scheduling challenges (e.g., overlapping board meetings) are a constraint on multiple board service. Thus, it is the timing of work that often is a constraint, not the amount of work. Second, we highlight the important role of “appearances” of busyness, with some directors noting efforts to avoid stakeholder scrutiny of their busyness, such as by “informally” serving on an audit committee or serving on private company boards.