Calendar of Events

• Published date: 01 January 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/bl.30181
• Date: 01 January 2021

The Good, Bad, and Ugly

of Succession Planning:

A Comparative Perspective

By Karl Besel, Ph.D., Arturo Flores, Ph.D., and Chae Young Chang, Ph.D.

Karl Besel, Ph.D., is professor of public administration and health management

at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Northwest

in Gary. Arturo Flores, Ph.D., is a lecturer and researcher at Universidad Anáhuac,

Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico. Chae Young Chang, Ph.D., is assistant professor at

the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Northwest.

In this article, the authors provide a summary of succession planning strategies

(or a lack thereof) that are being implemented by nonprots in the United States,

Europe, and Latin America and discuss how nonprot organizations, nationally and

internationally, can begin to develop cultures of intentional succession planning.

Succession planning may be a part

of the nonprofit management

lexicon (at least in some countries)

but that doesn’t necessarily mean

that boards are actively involved in

facilitating leadership transfer at the

CEO level in an intentional, thought-

ful manner. Sarbanes-Oxley may be

the law of the land as mentioned in a

recent article in Board Leadership,1 but

comprehensive studies of succession

planning show that the “rose glasses

approach” that Froelich, McKee, and

Rathge found in their comprehensive

analysis of approximately 200 US non-

profits that most boards follow, still

holds true today.2

The Boardsource survey of 214

nonprofit organizations found that only

27% of nonprofit organizations had

a written executive succession plan.3

Both studies indicate that the rose

glasses approach probably stems from

the paradox of a long-serving leader

imparting a mindset of stability. The

current study expands this dialogue

outside the United States, particularly

in the health and human services sec-

tor. From our in-depth ethnographic

interviews with approximately 20

nonprofit executives from the United

States and about 20 executives/

administrators from Germany, Mexico,

Colombia, and Cuba from 2013–2019,

we found that most nonprofit boards

have not implemented intentional suc-

cession planning approaches.

In the following section, we detail

the major themes gleaned from the

interviews, along with a discussion of

how these areas aligned with govern-

ment publications and research articles

NUMBER 173, JAN.–FEB. 2021

www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bl

BOARD LEADERSHIP

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO GOVERNANCE

View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com

Board Leadership • DOI: 10.1002/bl • Jan.–Feb. 2021

(continued on page 2)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Time to Retire the CEO-Board

Chair Role? ..................4

News .......................5

How to Use Social Media &

Virtual Meetings to Improve

Your Board’s Governance .......6

CALENDAR

OF EVENTS

March 23-25

2021 Nonprofit Technology

Conference

Virtual Course

The 2021 Nonprofit Technology

Conference, produced by NTEN:

The Nonprofit Technology Network,

will be held virtually March 23-25.

According to organizers, this

event typically draws some 2,000

attendees from across the philan-

thropic sector, including IT staff,

executive directors, development

officers and nonprofit boards, that

use technology to serve their com-

munities and make positive change.

With over 100 live, interactive

sessions, thought-provoking and

inspiring keynote speakers, and

opportunities to connect with the

community and sponsors, the 2021

Nonprofit Technology Conference

is designed to help attendees

reinvigorate their work and bring

that renewed passion back to their

community.

This year’s conference will

include:

•Over 100 live, interactive

sessions featuring practical and

tactical strategies to address

today’s challenges.

•A participatory online

experience where you can

connect with others, engage

with session presenters,

and attend networking and

community events.

(continued on page 8)