Exploring unsaid knowns, challenging personality combinations and ethical decision-making for governance bodies

The Governance Institute (2023, para. 1) defines governance as “the system by which an organisation is controlled and operates, and the mechanisms by which it and its people are held to account. Ethics, risk management, compliance and administration are all elements of governance”. As suggested by the definition, governance holds a critical role for organisations (Dwekat et al., 2022), and a governance board is a central element of corporate governance (Karmakar & Dutta, 2022). Furthermore, the governance board plays a key role in establishing the ethical tone of a company (OECD, 2023). It is responsible for making decisions on behalf of all stakeholders and ensuring corporate values, actions and strategies are aligned and overseen. Moreover, an organisation is measured on its strategy and mission and the optimisation of the structures that guide decision-making (Dimingu & Mogaji, 2024).