No abstract

Board interlock represents a phenomenon where organizations are connected via overlapping board members and executives. Board interlock is an important area of research in governance study because of its potential to impact governance outcomes through the flow of information, resources, and status. Despite its potential significance, the role of board interlock in governance has not been explicitly discussed in the nonprofit board governance literature. I review and synthesize corporate and nonprofit board governance literature and link this literature to the study of board interlock. Then, I review the extant literature on the antecedents and consequences of board interlock. I conclude by identifying gaps in the literature and proposing directions for future research.

Modern election campaigns leverage social media and the networks within to get their messages directly out to the public. We use the theory of extended party networks to explore networks of engaged users who extensively amplify messages posted by political candidates. Using Twitter data from the Senate races in the U.S. 2018 midterm election, we build Twitter extended party networks out of dedicated amplifiers to understand how those engaged users associate with the candidate message amplification. Results show that certain super-amplifiers have a disproportionately large impact on information flows, and that decentralized networks with higher rates of follower reciprocity are associated with higher rates of message diffusion. Our study also finds some support for the idea that super-amplifiers engage in coordinated efforts to diffuse political messages.

A board interlock creates interorganizational networks where organizations are interconnected via overlapping board of directors. Board interlock is important for nonprofits because of its potential to impact organizational performance through the flow of information, resources, and status. While much is known about the consequences of board interlock, little is known about the mechanisms underlying its antecedents. This study explores three types of predictors of board interlock: organizational, dyadic, and structural characteristics. Inferential network analysis of a 17-year-period panel of nonprofits demonstrates that network relationships are shaped by the existing network structures, such as the tendency for preferential attachment (e.g., a social preference to connect with those who are already well connected) and transitivity (e.g., a social preference to connect with friends of friends). Findings inform nonprofit leaders about how to bridge to a board interlock network by recruiting well-connected board members serving on multiple boards.

Previous research lags behind in illuminating theoretical mechanisms that shape governance decision-making on board practices. Using an integrated theoretical approach, I examine how board interlock network and institutional factors are associated with board governance policy adoption in nonprofit organizations. A linear regression model is employed to investigate policies adopted by a panel of public charities in three cities in Upstate New York during 2008 and 2014. Results show that not only the presence of board interlock networks but also central network positions relate to extensive policy adoption. Results also reveal that the use of paid professionals in management relates to institutional isomorphism reflected by more extensive governance policy adoption. These results provide insights for nonprofit leaders seeking to facilitate good governance practices by paying attention to board members’ affiliations and institutional environment considerations.