Bursar’s Review Autumn 2019.

Feature Autumn 2019 www.theisba.org.uk 16 References: AGBIS (n.d.) Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (http://www.agbis.org.uk/ ) [Accessed 24th August 2019]. AGBIS (2019) Guidelines for Governors.  A Manual of Good Practice for Governors of Independent Schools. Bailey,B.and Peck,S.(2013) Boardroom Strategic Decision-Making Style:Understanding the Antecedents. Corporate Governance: An International Review ,21 (2) pp.131–146. Brown,J.Buchholtz,A.Butts,M.and Ward,A. (2019) Board Socio-Cognitive Decision-Making andTask Performance Under Heightened Expectations of Accountability.Business and Society, 58 (3) pp.574−611. Cadbury Committee.(1992) The Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance .London:Gee Publishing. Dalton,D (2009) ursar's Guide Chapter I (A)The Bursar's Role as Clerk to the Governors . ( https://isbareferencelibrary.org.uk/BursarsGuide/ DownloadChapter?id=15) [Accessed 24th August 2019]. Heemskerk,E.Heemskerk,K.and Wats,M.(2017) Conflict in the Boardroom: A Participant Observation Study of Supervisory Board Dynamics. Journal of Management and Governance ,21 (1) March,pp.233−263. ISCA (n.d.) Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (https:// www.icsa.org.uk/) [Accessed 23rd August 2019]. ISBA (n.d.) Independent Schools' Bursars Association (https://www.theisba. org.uk/ ) [Accessed 23rd August 2019] Kakabadse,A.Khan,N.and Kakabadse,N.(2016) Company Secretary:A Role of Breadth and Majesty. Society and Business Review,11 (3),pp.333–349. McNulty,T.and Stewart,A.(2015) Developing the Governance Space:A Study of the Role and Potential of the Company Secretary in and Around the Board of Directors.Organisation Studies ,36 (4) pp.513–535. Minichilli,A.Zattoni,A.and Zona,F.(2009) Making Boards Effective: An Empirical Examination of BoardTask Performance .British Journal of Management,20,55−74. Pugliese,A.Nicholson,G.and Bezemer,P.(2015) An Observational Analysis of the Impact of Board Dynamics and Directors’Participation on Perceived Board Effectiveness . British Journal of Management,26,pp.1−25. Swabey,P (2014) Unique Role of the Company Secretary .Company Secretaries report,14 (1) pp.30−31. wheels, influence things, facilitate that overall debate as it rolls on month after month…” (page 528). They go on to describe the role of the company secretary through a range of different contributory factors, clearly recognising the ‘humble clerk’ as the foundation and the delivery of ‘the organisation of the board calendar, the timetable of meetings, board agenda setting, and preparation of board and sub-committee papers’ but adding there is ‘potential to exert a considerable degree of influence and control over the physical and temporal setting of the board’ (page 522). This ‘value added’ aspect is further enhanced by the observation from another interviewee in their study: “The biggest impact is creating…structuring…the timing of the meetings…there’s no point in having meetings that disenfranchise half the board” . A comment from another reinforces the impact the bursar and clerk combination can bring: “…it’s quite a privileged role because you are trusted and you are intimately associated with, and involved in discussion of the greatest sensitivity to the company…” (page 524). A supportive summary from another: “The secretary has the licence to say what is right or wrong, in a way that others in and around the boardroom perhaps may not find so easy” . (page 524). The link between company secretaries and the executive is also explored and strongly recognises the value of ‘in some instances, secretaries ‘double hat’ in an executive capacity’ (page 525) to meet this need, though they recognise the challenge of also demonstrating impartiality when doing so. They emphasised the need for trust from both the governing body and the executive and when delivering advice or guidance to the board − a bursar must be conscious of the fact that it may be his or her responsibility to deliver the subsequent outcome. They recognise that board effectiveness is improved ‘by developing the governance space in this way, the secretary can promote, enable and encourage efficient and effective board functioning’ (page 530) and it is in this area that I believe the combination of roles has the greatest impact. Summary This article highlights the ‘value added’ to boards that the combined bursar and clerk to the governors role can bring. It recognises there is always a balance needed and the bursar must be aware of the requirement for impartiality when acting as clerk, but by bringing a unique understanding of the organisation and by straddling both the strategic space occupied by governors and the operational space preserved for the executives as explored by Kakabadse et al (2016), is able to deliver much more than the work of the ‘humble clerk’ when supporting the governing body of an independent school. Author Colonel G R Pearce MBE bursar and clerk to the governors at Pipers Corner School ISBA TRAINING ISBA will be running two clerk to the governors courses this academic year, in conjunction with AGBIS, on 11th November 2019 and 10th June 2020. The training will cover the statutory duties of the clerk and the wider responsibilities of the post. For more information and to book online please visit: https://members.theisba.org.uk/professional-development/2019- 20-professional-development-courses.aspx