Published by:
Harvard Business Publishing
Length: 5 pages
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Abstract
Do well-regarded representatives of the business world often check their toughness at the door of the nonprofit boardroom? A number of widely publicized cases suggest that the answer is yes, and many business executives agree. What is the explanation? In this adaptation from his most recent book, William Bowen, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the former president of Princeton University, argues that nonprofit boards have much to learn from the business world. But a combination of inappropriate motivations and unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations can prevent business people from contributing effectively in a nonprofit setting. People from the for-profit world often join a nonprofit board to take a vacation from the bottom line and to shed their "barbarian" image. They may therefore be less disciplined than nonprofit organizations need them to be. The management and staff of nonprofit organizations can help facilitate more effective participation by business executives, but business people themselves must make a considerable effort to contribute their skills, discipline, and know-how in this unfamiliar realm.
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Abstract
Do well-regarded representatives of the business world often check their toughness at the door of the nonprofit boardroom? A number of widely publicized cases suggest that the answer is yes, and many business executives agree. What is the explanation? In this adaptation from his most recent book, William Bowen, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the former president of Princeton University, argues that nonprofit boards have much to learn from the business world. But a combination of inappropriate motivations and unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations can prevent business people from contributing effectively in a nonprofit setting. People from the for-profit world often join a nonprofit board to take a vacation from the bottom line and to shed their "barbarian" image. They may therefore be less disciplined than nonprofit organizations need them to be. The management and staff of nonprofit organizations can help facilitate more effective participation by business executives, but business people themselves must make a considerable effort to contribute their skills, discipline, and know-how in this unfamiliar realm.