Board Competence Programme description

The program Board Competence is a study of what it means to sit in a board as chairperson, company manager, elected member or employee representative. The study deals with the historical development over the last thirty years, from the board as a "one-man rule" or a more passive decision-making body, to the current boards where the Board / Chairperson of the Board is actively contributing to businesses' operations and development. The program emphasizes the roles, dynamics and processes in modern board work. An important part of the program will be the understanding of finance of business operations and development. The study deals with board work in all types of businesses, in the private, voluntary and public sectors. The program will give examples from the Norwegian cooperative tradition, where employees take an active part in the business operation and development, even when they are members of the board. The program is specifically aimed at women and has a female perspective in the sense that the role of women as a minority on the board will be emphasized. In this context, women business forms (single man's enterprise /small businesses) will be emphasized.

Credit reduction due to overlapping course Styrekompetanse (10 ECTS) - SKO1000 and STYR6000.

The program is designed for leaders, employee representatives on the board or persons that aspire to be engaged in or elected to professionally take part in businesses, corporate and enterprise boards. The program is also designed for persons that already are engaged in boards. To take part in the program students must have access to relevant fields of work

General study competence or equivalent validated prior learning.

The program may also be offered as in-service training without credits

The completed program will give the candidate the following learning outcome, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• understands theoretical perspectives on board work
• knows the most important laws and regulations for the establishment and workings of boards, as well as knowledge of the main laws and regulations governing the establishment and functions of both Public companies, limited companies (Ltd), Cooperations, and general partnerships
• knows the basic principles of accounting systems and accounting that have impact on board work

Skills

The student:

• is able to explain the board's role and function in a modern dynamic workplace .
• is able to recognize issues related to dominance and subordination, like suppression techniques,  and apply strategies against them.

General competence

The student:

• has a basic understanding of the need to anchor the company's operations in a good and thorough strategy
• has a clear understanding of the role of boards, including the responsibilities and obligations to the company's various interests
• has an ethical awareness of the work of boards

The program is given part time with workshops and study tasks in between. Supervision will be given through the internet and/or in direct contact between professor and student.

The program consists of the following subjects:  

1. The Board's work and responsibilities

• Board theories from the 1970s to the present day
• The Norwegian cooperation model
• Laws, rules and working methods of the Board
• Relationship between the Board and management, and between the Chairperson and CEO
• Advice and practical / technical / financial assistance to small and large organizations
• Election of directors with respect to corporate professional needs
• The work in special situations (emergencies, change, change management)
• Interest Groups
• The employee's role
• Future Board
• The human aspects of board work
• The importance of gender. Control techniques.

2. Finance and Control

• Relationship between budget and performance
• Liquidity

3. The Board's social context and risk - Strategy and Corporate Responsibility

• What is corporate social responsibility?
• Corporate social responsibility in multinational companies
• The need for strategy development in companies
• Strategy work in small and large organizations in various stages of corporate life, in crises / conflicts
• SWOT analyses
• How to monitor and evaluate a strategy process
• Innovation, what when and how?

The working methods of the program alternate between theoretical introductions, discussions, practical exercises and reflections on learning processes and board work. Students' self-study and reflection are central. Ethical considerations are consistent throughout the study. The program will be characterized by a tradition in which education and knowledge are practice-based. This means that students actively use their own vocational practice or explore relevant fields of work as a basis for reflection and learning.

Adult Educational policies are central to the working methods in the study will help to link the academic content close to the students' own experiences. The work will take place in both base groups, cross groups and plenary. To encourage, promote and share the experience role play / simulation and imagination travels will be important in the didactic approach. Logs and reflection notes will be discussed and analyzed to develop an awareness of students' own learning process.

This program is given in two workshops with a period between where the participants work on an individual reflection essay, see task 1 under.

The demands on student work are designed to ensure that the students are active and responsible for their own development and to stimulate reflection and learning.

The following work requirement must be evaluated as approved before the students start preparing for their exams.  The requirement consists of two parts due to be submitted together.

• Part one: Individual report giving reflections on the content and theory of first part of the program.  Scope: 750 words (+/- 10%).
• Part two: An outline for the exam paper, utilizing the course curriculum. Scope: 300 words (+/- 10%).

Work requirements may be revised once.

Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet. Students must register for a new or postponed examination

• Approved by the Dean 18.09.2013
• Editorial changes 10.09.2015
• Editorial changes 15.5.2017