Abstract
This article explores different types of role confusion that nonprofit board members may experience. Various types of role confusion include uncertainty about how to fulfill one’s role as a trustee, conflict between different roles that one may have to play as a board or community member, and overload in carrying out that role. Conflict in decision making and differing expectations of the role of the board between the board and the executive director are also explored. Solutions that nonprofit boards can implement to prevent and manage these different types of role confusion are explored using a variety of sources. Practical solutions include: giving board members more ownership over the functioning of the board, recruiting the right members, continuously evaluating and improving board performance, implementing the duties of care and loyalty through effective meeting planning and managing conflict of interest, creating a dynamic relationship between the board and the executive director, and engaging in strategic thinking.
Recommended Citation
Denny, Grace
(2015)
"Role Confusion on Nonprofit Boards: Promoting Board Engagement,"
SPNHA Review: Vol. 11:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/spnhareview/vol11/iss1/4