During recent history, too many nonprofit organizations of higher education have become well known due to highly publicized cases of wrongdoing, which Show moreDuring recent history, too many nonprofit organizations of higher education have become well known due to highly publicized cases of wrongdoing, which has contributed to the decline in confidence from the public. Contemporaneously, the for-profit corporate sector grappled with the ramifications of catastrophic failures. In response to these combined crises there has been a movement for greater accountability and responsibility from the public upon the governing boards of the organizations because the primary responsibility for these organizations vests with the board. This renewed interest has inspired this study to further understand how board members describe how they enact their responsibilities effectively. In this study data were obtained from twelve trustees from five organizations of higher education through phenomenological interviews. The data indicate that board members who consider themselves effective are actively participating through the board committee sub-structure, and they are motivated by a strong emotion and sustained by a commitment to the organization. Further, the members recognize the importance of understanding the organization along with their roles and responsibilities while balancing their power with the power of the internal officers, particularly the chief executive officer. Doctorate of Management Programs Show less
