Board Tasks Research Articles

Dynamic visual information plays a critical role for spatial navigation in water but not on solid ground

In the Morris water maze (MWM) task, proprioceptive information is likely to have a poor accuracy due to movement inertia. Hence, in this condition, dynamic visual information providing information on linear and angular acceleration would play a critical role in spatial navigation. To investigate this assumption we compared rat's spatial performance in the MWM and in the homing hole board (HB) tasks using a 1.5 Hz stroboscopic illumination. In the MWM, rats trained in the stroboscopic condition needed more time than those trained in a continuous light condition to reach the hidden platform. They expressed also little accuracy during the probe trial. In the HB task, in contrast, place learning remained unaffected by the stroboscopic light condition. The deficit in the MWM was thus complete, affecting both escape latency and discrimination of the reinforced area, and was thus task specific. This dissociation confirms that dynamic visual information is crucial to spatial navigation in the MWM whereas spatial navigation on solid ground is mediated by a multisensory integration, and thus less dependent on visual information.

Boards of Directors and Entrepreneurial Posture in Medium-size Companies

Research suggests that a strong and vigilant board can have a significant influence on the value-creating potential of medium-size companies. Yet, how best to conceptualize this relationship remains controversial.The mainstream approach has been to argue for a direct relationship between board demography and company performance. In opposition stands a growing number of scholars who argue that boards' ability to perform board tasks effectively — their actual behaviour — should be taken into account. Empirical studies comparing the two approaches are however surprisingly scarce. Based on this observation, the aim of the study is to test the influence of boards of directors on CEOs' commitment to take an entrepreneurial posture. Both demographic and behavioural board measures are included in the model. Statistical analysis on a sample of 175 medium-size manufacturing companies gives ample support for the behavioural approach. The study ends with a discussion of the results and suggestions for further research.

Beyond the Black Box of Demography: board processes and task effectiveness within Italian firms

In this paper we analyse boards of directors as workgroups, i.e. groups of people that perform one or more tasks within an organisational context. Building on previous studies, we developed a model that relates group's social‐psychological processes to three different board tasks: service, monitoring and networking. We tested our model through a survey on 301 large manufacturing firms in Italy. Our findings support the idea that (a) process variables and, to a limited extent, demographic variables significantly influence board task performance; (b) board processes have a different impact on each specific board task; (c) board task performance varies depending upon firm and industry characteristics.

The board advisory tasks in small firms and the event of crises

In this article we examine what affects the board of directors’ involvement in the advice to management, with emphasis on the influence of crises on the board advisory tasks performance. Based on a survey of 881 small Norwegian firms, we analyse responses from CEOs in order to determine whether and to what extent the board is actively involved in the governance process during crises through providing advice. The study has two major contributions to board research in general and research of into small firms in particular. The first is the go beyond the “usual suspects” of board size, CEO duality, and board independence when looking for determinants of board involvement in advice. The second contribution is a clearer understanding of board involvement during crises. Our results show that board member diversity becomes particularly important during crises, since this provides the CEO and firm access to a more diverse pool of competences and experiences. We also find that crises moderate the effects of incentive on the board’s involvement in advice. This evidence sheds new light on the determinants of directors’ involvement in board tasks, suggesting that directors’ incentive to perform certain board tasks vary according to the contingent situation the firm is experiencing.

Do Board Processes Influence Director and Board Performance? Statutory and performance implications

Based on British legislation, the duties of directors are stated in the New Zealand Companies Act 1993. However, “good” governance is not defined within the Act. Considering the relative importance attached by boards to a variety of governance tasks, this paper evaluates directors’perceptions of the current contribution of fellow board members to different aspects of governance practice. This evaluation is discussed in relation to the influence of board tasks and functions on actions that may be regarded as being in the interests of the company as defined by the Act. The evaluation illustrates the strategic orientation of the board,highlighting the extent to which individual directors and the board as a whole can actually influence key outcomes and, thereby, their governance contribution. The paper reports responses to findings based on a study involving 3000 directors and presents suggestions for enhancing board processes as well as possible changes in expectations that could be encapsulated in legislation.

Digital control and simulation for power electronic apparatus in dual voltage railway locomotive

An object-oriented simulation-in-the-loop C-written tool for power electronic apparatus in a dual (AC and DC) voltage prototype railway locomotive is proposed. By considering also the hardware elements of the control board, the simulator structure ensures the straightforward portability of the control codes from simulation to implementation, thus allowing to check the control algorithms and codes via realistic numerical tests. Each component of the locomotive is modeled as an object, by using state space dynamic models for the dynamic subsystems. The two line-side converter configurations, the field oriented controlled induction motors with Kalman filter as flux estimator and the space-vector modulated voltage source inverters are considered as examples. A new control strategy for the line-side converter ensuring voltage regulation and harmonic active filtering is also proposed and simulations show the effectiveness of the controller. The digital implementation of the control algorithms on an electronic control unit equipped with a DSP and a microcontroller is detailed, showing the time relationship between the control board tasks and the converters switching functions.

An Analysis of the Behavioural Dynamics of Corporate Governance – a talk‐based ethnography of a UK manufacturing ‘board‐in‐action’

This article draws upon research conducted in a UK manufacturing company where a group of directors and senior managers (managerial elites) interacting with each other were observed and captured on audio and video tape recordings. From detailed analysis of their talk‐based interpersonal routines, the nature of their linguistic skills and how factors such as knowledge, know‐how and experience were deployed to influence boardroom process was explored. They also simultaneously sought to preserve the protocols of human interaction. The objective here is to reproduce a small set of typical interactive routines between this group of managerial elites to illustrate aspects of this analysis. In particular, we illustrate their use of two basic micro‐linguistic resources; the display of feelings and emotions, and; the routine selection of lexemes which activate arenas of expertise and knowledge. The laminated effect of successive interactive exchanges of the sort reproduced in this paper allowed for a range of board tasks to be executed alongside the concurrent assembly of an effective (or not) competent performance in the boardroom. Taken together this paper and our prior one provides a basis for developing a systematic and rigourous approach for the study of the behavioural dynamics of corporate governance.

Short versions of the Timed Manual Performance Test. Development, reliability, and validity.

The Timed Manual Performance test is gaining wider use as a measure of functional status in research and clinical settings. It is a rather lengthy 27-item test, however, requiring the use of a large cumbersome panel of doors. The authors, therefore, studied 1,286 community-dwelling elderly subjects recruited through their primary care provider to: 1) reduce the number of items in the Timed Manual Performance (TMP) test and 2) assess the reliability and validity of the shorter versions of the TMP compared with the 27-item TMP. Using principal components analysis, we identified two shorter measures, TMP (Doors) consisting of five board tasks and TMP (Table) consisting of six table tasks. Timed Manual Performance (Doors) and TMP (Table) involve less equipment than the original TMP and have higher rates of completion. Furthermore, not only are these tests reliable (alpha = 0.79 and 0.82 for TMP [Doors] and TMP [Table], respectively), they appear to be better measures of manual performance compared with the 27-item TMP.

Cognitive determinants of attribute information usage

The semantic network approach from the psychology of memory is used as a model of consumer information processing to derive six hypotheses about determinants of the types of attributes consumers use in a prepurchase information acquisition situation. Results from two studies using information display board tasks provide support for most of the hypotheses, but also point out methodological problems encountered when investigating memory phenomena.

Sensory reinforcement table—an evaluation*

SUMMARYA table, which provides sensory reinforcement on completion of form board tasks, was evaluated for use in teaching and occupying severely mentally handicapped children.Sensory stimulation was found to be more effective than edibles or social reinforcement in occupying two children working at skills already acquired. The addition of sensory reinforcement to social reinforcement was found to enhance learning new skills in three children. Sensory stimulation was no more effective than conventional reinforcers with five children whose performance at form board tasks was generally very low.It is suggested that the use of such equipment be investigated further with larger numbers of children.

SENSORY REINFORCEMENT TABLE for severely retarded and multiply handicapped children*

SUMMARYA table which provides light, vibration, or sound stimulation on completion of form board tasks is described. Questions relating to the evaluation of such equipment are discussed.

Identification of dropouts at the initial stage of drug abuse treatment.

32 applicants to the Drug Dependence Unit of the Connecticut Mental Health Center were administered Level of Aspiration Board Tasks. The results indicated that, relative to applicants (12 males, 4 females) who actually entered treatment programs, applicants (14 males, 2 females) who failed to enter were significantly less realistic and less cautious in terms of their achievement aspiration.

Effects of early brain injury on perceptual-constructive performances in adults. A study on cerebrally palsied subjects without mental retardation by means of a marble board task.

Several researchers have suggested that visual-motor defects observed in cerebrally palsied (CP) children are due to a developmental lag and thus may not persist into adult age. The aim of the present study was to investigate performances in a perceptual-constructive task—the copying of marble board patterns—in CP adults and controls. Thirty-three CP subjects and 18 controls, most of them with orthopedic handicaps, participated. The age range studied was 15 to 26 years. Only subjects with an IQ of at least 80 were included. Performances on four marble board patterns were reported. In the CP group the mean scores were significantly lower in regard to both the accuracy of the copies made and the procedure used. Speed was not considered in scoring and motor clumsiness did not influence the scores, as only intentional marble placings were recorded. Deficient performance in such marble board tasks may be due to disturbances of function in any link of the complicated sequence gnosia-cognition-praxia. It was concluded that the defects observed in CP subjects in perceptual-constructive tasks are not wholly reversible. Thus, they are neither solely due to a slower rate of maturation nor completely compensated for with increasing age.