Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/313860 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Citation: 
[Journal:] Junior Management Science (JUMS) [ISSN:] 2942-1861 [Volume:] 10 [Issue:] 1 [Year:] 2025 [Pages:] 44-69
Publisher: 
Junior Management Science e. V., Planegg
Abstract: 
This thesis investigates the influence of elite supervisory board members on the performance of German firms. Following the transformation of the German business landscape post-reunification, elite board members, characterized by their exceptional social capital, continue to play a crucial role. Using resource dependence theory, the study explores the link between board members' social capital and firm performance. Leveraging a yearly ranking of the top 30 most powerful supervisory board members to identify elite members, this thesis analyses their influence on firm performance. Contrary to expectations, the results show a significant negative impact of elite board members on accounting-based performance and no significant effect on market-based performance. The expected stronger effect of having an elite board chair was not supported. These findings encourage a reevaluation of the assumed benefits of elite board membership, suggesting underlying complex dynamics. The thesis concludes with implications for corporate governance, limitations of the study, and directions for future research.
Subjects: 
corporate governance
elite board members
firm performance
social capital
supervisory board
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Appears in Collections:

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.