Redefining governance: from confusion to certainty and clarity
International Journal of Managing Projects in Business
ISSN: 1753-8378
Article publication date: 7 September 2015
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to resolve and remove from the governance arena in general and the project arena in particular, conflict which occurs when parties do not realise they have different meanings for common governance terms.
Design/methodology/approach
Review literature on definitional confusion in general and on governance in particular and develop a method for defining an internally consistent group of terms, then apply this to a group of terms in the governance arena.
Findings
Several important subjects commonly arranged under the governance banner do not actually constitute governance (strategy, behaviour, decision making).
Research limitations/implications
Further work is necessary to remove similar confusion in other closely related areas, including power itself and authority as well as project and general management terms such as responsibility and accountability.
Practical implications
Projects and business alike can potentially achieve significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness through gaining consistency across current models, frameworks, policies and procedures thus reducing cross-boundary conflict.
Social implications
Creation of a unifying feature within the project and management literature, shifting the understanding of the boundaries and limitations of governance. These definitions will help progress governance from complexity to simplicity, from an art to an understandable practice, from a concept that has been hijacked for partisan and political gain to a lean social tool which can be put to use for the benefit of organisations, whether public, charitable or private.
Originality/value
The value is clarity – resulting in the avoidance of confusion and misunderstanding together with their consequent waste of time, resources and money.
Keywords
Citation
McGrath, S.K. and Whitty, S.J. (2015), "Redefining governance: from confusion to certainty and clarity", International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 755-787. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-10-2014-0071
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited