New Thinking 新思維

W hy do boards need diversity? By including people with different backgrounds who think

differently and approach problem-solving from various angles, organisations increase their innovative thinking, thereby encouraging progress and growth.

But what do Asian companies understand of diversity in leadership to improve corpo-rate governance?

Corporations in Asia-Pacific are extending their footprint more and more to shores beyond. In line with expansion ambitions, they are starting to seek ways to build more diverse leadership teams, boards and executive committees. While that is a positive development, it must be under-stood in a much broader sense than is seen in many boardroom discussions nowadays.

Meanwhile, to ensure a balance of skills, experience and mindsets, regulators in the region – for instance, Hong Kong, Singa-pore, Japan and Malaysia – are requiring companies to increase the diversity of their boards or explain any shortcomings.

In addition, another phenomenon in Asia also draws attention to the need for board

28 HKIoD: THE 21ST CENTURY DIRECTOR

Alain Deniau, Harry O’Neill and Robbie Knight

High Time to Evolve

Asian Boards Need More Diversity

亞洲公司董事會需更多元化刻不容緩

diversity – the prevalence of family-owned businesses. Since executive power is usually kept within a group of relatives, making independent board positions less common than in companies with broader ownership structures, it can be difficult to achieve diversity. Many steps therefore need to be taken to enhance board effectiveness.

Helpful Tool: Diversity WheelOne helpful tool to increasing board diversity is the so-called “diversity wheel,” which presents four levels of diversity.[1]

Most corporate diversity discussions focus on the second ring – internal dimensions, including gender, race and other attributes that individuals cannot control. Asia typically fares poorly in these measures compared to other parts of the world. Although these aspects are undoubtedly vital and should never be neglected, we believe that the real power of diversity lies in taking a broader perspective that balanc-es the internal, external and organisational dimensions of diversity, such as including individuals with diverse backgrounds to encourage diverse thinking.

Unique Dynamics of Asian BoardsFamily businesses are an integral part of

most economies in Asia. EY found that in 2014, 85% of companies in Asia-Pacific were family-owned businesses and that these companies accounted for 32% of market capitalisation in the region. The level of generational experience in govern-ance is diverse. Japan has some of the world’s oldest family-owned businesses while China has some of the youngest.

Diversity can be more difficult to achieve in family-owned businesses. Executive power is usually kept within the family so independent board positions are less common. Often, the founders and co-founders are in executive positions on the board, and typically, family businesses have fewer independent directors. In general, these businesses are more reluctant to take on board members from outside their inner circle and often replace resigning board members with familiar faces.

Although the recent increase in mergers and acquisitions of Asian companies implies that numerous subsidiary boards will have emerged as a result, not many of

29香港董事學會: 廿一世紀董事

Companies that expand their understanding of diversity to include organisational and external dimensions can reap the benefits of establishing a more balanced leadership team企業深入了解多元化，涵蓋組織性層面和外在層面的各種範疇，有助建立結構均衡的管理層團隊，使企業有所得益

Source: Adapted from Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, “Diverse Teams at Work: Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity”, Irwin Professional Publishing, 1994; and Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener, Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resources, Business One Irwin, 1991資料來源：取自《Diverse Teams at Work: Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity》第一版，Lee Garden-swartz及Anita Rowe合著，Irwin Professional Publishing出版，1994年，及：《Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resources》，Marilyn Loden 及Judy Rosener合著，Business One Irwin出版，1991年

組織性層面

內在層面

年齡 性

別

向取性

況狀

體

身

族

裔

種族

外在層面

地理位置 收入

個人

興趣

趣興

閒休 教宗 景背育教

驗經

作工

表

外

子女

狀況

婚姻狀況

職能級別 工作

範疇

門部 歷資

點地

作工

工會

關係

管理層架構

個性

these parent and subsidiary boards share and align strategies to help ensure effective and transparent communication. Thus many steps need to be taken to enhance board effectiveness in the process of building diverse boards.

It is not enough to use easily quantifiable metrics to gauge diversity levels, such as gender and ethnicity. Organisations should look more broadly at concepts that expand diversity of thinking. This can include a focus on bringing down the average age of board members. Although a degree of seniority among board

appointees is to be expected, boards can benefit from hiring younger members with different perspectives.

‘Darwinism’ of BoardsNowadays, chairs increasingly realise that a smart board composition comprises a good mix of members who are relevant to the core business as well as alternative thinkers who are able to hypothesize the “what-ifs” of the future. Alain Deniau, Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ CEO & Board Practice in Hong Kong, calls this “The Darwinism of boards,” a reference to naturalist Charles Darwin’s theory of

evolution based on natural selection. In the process of moving from being regula-tory gatekeepers to being strategic advisors that define comparative advan-tage for organisations, boards simply are making the natural discovery that contin-uing with old principles and ways of doing things may subject the organisation to the “risk of extinction.” We have observed that this kind of forward-thinking board mix usually increases external investor appetite.

When selecting candidates for board positions, companies should have a clear idea of the range of experience already represented on the board. Pragmatical gaps (e.g. experience in core businesses and targeted growth markets) should be closed quickly, and intangible skill set gaps (e.g. not having a variety of approaches to problem-solving) also should be identified and addressed.

Include alternative thinkersAlternative thinkers usually hail from a different background from the organiza-tion and show strong analytical abilities and clear ways of thinking. Having them as independent non-executive directors (INEDs) can improve the board dynam-ics. In addition, their new way of doing things and their willingness to develop multi-level contacts with the chair and other boards can result in more effective communication and hence more efficient board decision-making processes. Diverse backgrounds can bring different approaches to tackling problems and greater flexibility to adapt to a changing environment.

However, alternative thinkers can also bring specific challenges. Their sectorial inexperience could mean they might be slower to accelerate to full speed while veteran directors also may find it hard to understand their value. Even strong personalities can be timid in such situations. The key to eliminating any negative vibe in board energy, therefore, lies in having a well-thought-out board-orientation programme and proper guidance from the chair.

New Thinking 新思維

30 HKIoD: THE 21ST CENTURY DIRECTOR

Ensure optimal board sizeThe appropriate balance between execu-tive directors and INEDs, and the size of the board itself vary from company to company. Having a sufficient number of INEDs can help ensure that independent, diverse voices are heard. To determine the optimal board size, a company should examine if the board is large enough to carry out its functions without pressuring individual members and if it is small enough for each member to remain personally involved.

Role of the ChairIt takes a strong chairperson not just to get the diversity right but to run the board effectively. Indeed, the role of the board’s leader must evolve to include new respon-sibilities that demand different skills.

For one thing, chairs must set board diversity as a priority and clearly define its implications. After all, it is the chair who must help determine, and then articulate the what, why and when of diversity for the organisation. The focus must go beyond common metrics, such as gender and race, to encompass true diversity of thinking.

Board chairs must detect any diversity gaps and draft a plan to close them and to bring fresh ideas and new energy into the boardroom. Below are a number of questions to help with assessing board diversity:

How does our board rank across relevant dimensions of the diversity wheel?How are the gaps detected on the board affecting performance and our ability to assess risk and challenge the status quo?How does our board’s range of experience and background align with the company’s mid- to long-term strategies? How (and when) can diversity complement or strengthen that view?What is our plan to address the short-comings?What is the best time to make a change?

The Way ForwardThe unique way that most Asian businesses are run poses challenges and resistance to creating more diverse boards. However, Heidrick & Struggles believes that the goal is attainable and can lead to performance improvements. Forward-thinking companies should:

Ask themselves the right questions at the right time;Understand how they would like their boards to make a positive impact on their business; Review board performance; andBridge the gaps.

To be more effective, boards should be diverse and representative. Chairs should challenge the status quo, and apply board effectiveness models that allow business-es to survive, succeed and evolve beyond Darwinism to modernity.

事會為什麼需要多元化？不

同背景的人有不同的思考方

法，考慮問題的角度也不盡

相同。一家企業若能廣納賢

士，將能提高創新思考能力，從而進步與

發展。

企業領導層多元化能強化企業管治，但亞

洲企業對此有何理解呢？

亞太地區的企業正積極走出本土，邁向國

際。它們致力讓其管理層、董事會及行政

委員會的結構更趨多元化，以配合公司發

展的雄圖大計。這無疑是正面的發展趨勢

，但大部份亞洲企業在此課題的討論尚未

完善，他們須以更廣闊的視野來了解董事

會多元化。

同時，為確保每家企業的董事會成員有均

衡的技能、經驗和思維方式，亞太區內多

個國家和地區的監管機構，例如香港、新

加坡、日本和馬來西亞等地，正立例規定

企業提高其董事會的多元化程度，未能達

標的企業要就此作出解釋。

另外，家族企業在亞洲非常普遍，使人關

注亞洲企業董事會的多元化程度。家族企

業的決策權力通常集中於有親屬關係的群

體，相比股權結構廣闊的公司，少有獨立

身份的董事會成員。這些家族企業要達至

董事會多元化並不容易，因此需要更多措

施才能提升董事會效能。

實用工具：多元化輪盤

「多元化輪盤（Diversity Wheel）」是提升

董事會多元化程度時常用的工具，輪盤上

的四環代表多元化的不同層次1。企業多元

化的討論大部分聚焦第二環——「內在層

面 (internal dimension)」，涵蓋了性別、種

族及其他非個人所能控制的範疇。一如所

料，亞洲企業在上述範疇的表現遜色於其

他地方的企業。這些範疇固然極其重要，

不容忽視，但我們相信多元化的真正意義

，在於採用廣闊的視野，平衡達至多元化

所需的「內在層面」、「外在層面」及「

組織性層面」 。廣納不同背景人士以促進

思想多元化正是其中一例。

亞洲公司董事會的獨特之處

家族企業常見於大部分的亞洲經濟體。安

永發現，2014年亞太區內有85%的公司為

家族企業，市值共佔亞太區資本市場的

32%。亞太地區家族企業的傳承代數亦見

差異——有些日本家族企業的歷史是世界

之最，有些中國家族企業則是全球最年青

的一批。

家族企業要實現董事會多元化殊不簡單。

家族企業的決策權力通常集中於有親屬關

係的群體，因此少有獨立身份的董事會成

員。企業的創辦人和聯合創辦人通常出任

執行董事的職位，而大部份家族企業董事

會的非執行董事成員較少，這些企業也比

較抗拒委任自己圈子以外的人加入董事會

。遇有董事會成員辭職，則多會由相熟人

士接任。

近期亞洲企業的併購活動頻繁，大量附屬

公司勢將隨之誕生，亦可預見這些附屬公

司將設立董事會。然而，很少母公司和附

屬公司的董事局會分享和協調彼此的策略

，難以確保有效和透明的溝通。因此這些

企業在實現董事會多元化時，還須不少措

施來提升董事會效能。

易於量化的指標，例如性別和種族，尚未

足以量度董事會的多元化程度。企業應該

拓闊視野，尋求思維的多元化。方法之一

是吸納年輕成員。一般人期望董事會成員

應具相當年資，但年輕的成員能帶來不同

觀點，董事會可從中獲益。

董事會的自然演化

今天，越來越多董事會主席明白董事會的

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•

•

•

•

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董

31香港董事學會: 廿一世紀董事

Asia-Pacific’s Largest Family Businesses (2014)亞太地區的最大型家族企業 (2014年)

[1] Source: “Diverse Teams at Work: Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity” by Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, first edition, Irwin Professional Publishing, 1994(註1) 資料來源：《Diverse Teams at Work: Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity》第一版，Lee Gardenswartz及Anita Rowe合著， Irwin Professional Publishing出版，1994年

Soucre: EY Family Yearbook 2014 資料來源：安永《Family Yearbook 2014》

Number of Employees

員工數目

Family Shareholder or

voting rights

家族成員持股或投票權比例

Revenue

收入

100%

47.2

%49

%52.6

%

53.3

%

59.5

%66%69

%

65078412

1360

0

2351

9

2712

6

2853

226

1074

4500

00

1754

3

2262

0

2576

6

3023

8

3303

4

4000

0

7304

210

0090

Tata Group RelianceIndustries Ltd.

Aditya BirlaGroup

HutchisonWhampoa Ltd.

Formosa PetrochemicalCorporation

Lotte ShoppingCompany Ltd

Suntory Group Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co Ltd.

Lotte Chemical Corp.

理想結構，是既要有精通企業核心業務的

人士，也要有能發揮另類思維的成員，以

為公司未來發展提出不同假設。Alain Deniau

是海德思哲CEO及董事會行業領域合伙人

，他參照了博物學家達爾文的物競天擇演

化論，「董事會演化論 (The Darwinism of

boards)」描述這種董事會結構。董事會的

角色，由負責規管的把關者，變成為企業

制訂比較優勢的策略顧問。之所以有此變

化，不過是董事會自然而然發現，繼續舊

有原則和做事方法可能令其組織陷入「滅絕

風險」。據我們觀察所得，這類型的董會局

結構具前瞻視野，通常受外部投資者歡迎。

企業挑選董事會成員時，應清楚了解現有

董事會成員所具備的經驗。若董事會的實

務能力不足(例如缺乏核心業務和目標市場

的經驗)，應當盡快彌補，也要找出董事會

缺乏的軟性技巧 (例如解難能力不足)，妥

善應對。

吸納不同思維的人

思維跳出框框的人，通常有與眾不同的背

景，兼且分析力強，思路清晰。委任這些

人士為獨立非執行董事，可為董事會增添

動力。他們不但可帶來新的處事方法，亦

願意與主席及其他董事會成員展開不同層

次的接觸，有助成員間的溝通，從而提高

董事會的決策效率。而多元化的背景不但

可帶來不同的解難方法，還有助企業靈活

應對瞬息萬變的經營環境。

不過，吸納思維截然不同的人，將面對特

殊的挑戰。他們缺乏業內經驗，或要多些

時間才能盡展所長，同時一些資深董事可

能難以理解他們的價值觀。這情況下，個

性堅強的人也會諸多忌憚。要讓董事會保

持正面氛圍，關鍵是要為董事會成員精心

設計啟導課程，同時董事會主席亦要提供

適當指導。

董事會的規模

不同企業各有特色，執行董事和非執行董

事的比例和董事會的規模自然不盡相同。

足夠的非執行董事能確保董事會內有獨立

和多元化的聲音。企業亦要仔細考慮合適

的董事會人數規模，人數不能太少，才能

讓每位成員在不受催迫的情況下履行職務

；人數也不能太多，才可讓每位成員都有

機會參與事務。

主席的角色

董事會主席需要優秀的領導力，才能確保

董事會正確實踐多元化，並能有效運作。

主席作為董事會的領導人，也要與時並進

，承擔要不同技能才可勝任的新職責。

公司主席的一項要務是把董事會多元化訂

為優先工作目標，並清楚界定其影響。企

業決心邁向多元化，公司主席責無旁貸。

主席也要釐定企業化多元化的程度、動機

和時間表。主席不可只關注性別、種族等

一般指標，他必須把真正的多元化思考能

力注入董事會。

公司主席亦要找出董事會在多元化方面的不

足之處，並就此擬定計劃以彌補不足。他也

要為董事會帶來新想法及新動力。以下列出

的問題，有助評估董事會多元化程度：

董事會在多元化輪盤各部份的表現如

何？

董事會的不足之處，對企業的表現，

風險評估的能力及改變現狀能力有何

影響？

董事會成員所具備的經驗和背景，如何

配合企業的中、長期發展策略？董事會

多元化如何(及在何時)完善或強化上述

關係？

有何彌補不足的計劃？

何時是引入改變的最佳時機？

未來發展

亞洲企業的獨特營運模式，令董事會邁向

多元化之路充滿挑戰和障礙。不過我們深

信這目標可以實現，更有助提升公司的表

現。因此，高瞻遠矚的公司應：

適當時候給自己提出適當問題；

了解自己期望董事會如何推動公司的業

務發展；

檢視董事會的表現；及

彌補不足。

為提升效率，董事會應該更為多元化，更

具代表性。主席應勇於挑戰現狀，及應用

有效的董事會效能模式，以助企業立足、

成功及邁向現代化。

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Alain Deniau, Harry O’Neill and Robbie Knight are partiners of CEO & Board Practice division of Heidrick & Struggles.Alain Deniau, Harry O Neill和Robbie Knight為

海德思哲CEO及董事會行業領域合伙人。