PhD defence: Sarosh Asad

This thesis is comprised of four independent essays—one theoretical and three empirical. Motivated by advances in upper echelon theory and the ever-widening influence of strategic leaders [chief executive officers (CEOs), top management teams, and boards of directors] in practice, the four essays investigate the impact of demographic and personality characteristics of strategic leaders on firm strategy and performance.  The first essay empirically investigates how board characteristics influence organizational aspirations to appoint women to top management teams. The second essay examines how representation of gender and ethnic minority directors on corporate boards stir shareholder unrest (i.e., the extent of shareholder dissatisfaction with corporate governance practices). The third essay adopts a psychological lens on strategic leadership by focusing on two important yet often-conflated personal attributes of CEOs i.e., hubris and narcissism. The final essay meta-analyzes whether and how CEO narcissism affects firms’ social and financial performance. Taken together, the thesis contributes to scholarship on strategic leadership and governance.
 
Primary Supervisor:
Associate Professor Minna Paunova
Department of Management, Society and Communication
Copenhagen Business School
 
Secondary Supervisors:
Professor with special responsibilities Sara Louise Muhr
Department of Organization
Copenhagen Business School
 
Associate Professor Aleksandra Gregoric
Department of Strategy and Innovation
Copenhagen Business School
 
Assessment Committee:
Professor with special responsibilities Annemette Kjærgaard (Chair)
Management, Society and Communication
Copenhagen Business School
 
Professor Guoli Chen
INSEAD
 
Professor Markus Menz
Institute of Management
University of Genève
 
Thesis:
The thesis will be available from research.cbs.dk
 
Reception:
The CBS PhD School will host a reception, which will take place immediately after the defence in DH.V.2.88 (second floor).
Konferenceservice