Abstract/Summary

This exploratory, qualitative study utilises twenty-eight interviews with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), board members and chairs of UK-based social enterprises (SEs) to explore governance dynamics and its influence on value delivery and organisational performance. The thematic analysis undertaken in this study uses the stewardship theory to identify the CEO–board dynamics, the unique nature and roles of CEOs and boards in an SE context, as well as complexities and tensions that impact the value that is delivered. The findings of this thesis advance the knowledge of how CEO– board dynamics in SEs influence value delivery, making important contributions to both stewardship theory and SEs’ governance literature. The findings emphasise the importance of the role of the CEO and board in SEs, the type of relationship they establish from the very beginning, their collaboration, and how critical their partnership is, as it has a major impact on value delivery and performance. Moreover, this thesis finds no empirical support for the idea of major governance tensions in SEs, which can be seen in other types of organisations. Instead, evidence suggests that the little tensions that were reported in this thesis are mostly healthy and lead to growth or are being solved quickly by the relevant people. Finally, this thesis contributes to practice by providing an emerging model that is based on stewardship theory and emphasises the importance of positive CEO–board dynamics in order to increase organisational performance and deliver value in SEs.