Evaluating the Impact of Board Members' Attributes on Corporate Governance

This study evaluated the impact of public entity board attributes on organisational performance of state entities in Zimbabwe, guided by the Upper Echelon Theory. Boards have been criticised for scandals that contributed to persistent losses. A pragmatist philosophy, mixed methods approach, and cross-sectional survey design were adopted. The study targeted permanent secretaries, executive and non-executive board members, using a sample of 261 participants for quantitative data and 25 for qualitative data. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews, with reliability tested using Cronbach’s alpha (α). Analysis was conducted in SPSS Version 25 and AMOS Version 21. Findings showed that age, gender balance, limits on membership and tenure, strong leadership, and sound ethics significantly influence performance. Visionary leadership and ethical standards emerged as critical for public entity success. Gender diversity was linked to improved profitability, innovation, decision-making, and risk awareness, while age diversity brought innovation, risk-taking, and leadership continuity. The study recommends introducing an age diversity policy for boards to enhance energy and innovation. Future research could explore the effectiveness of board appointment systems in Zimbabwe’s private sector