Examining The Impact of Board Structure on Organizational Performance in Ghana’s Private Universities
Keywords:
Board composition, Board diversity, Board size, Board structure, Governance, Organizational performanceAbstract
This paper investigates how board structure influence organizational performance in Ghana’s Private Universities. It specifically examines how board diversity, board size, and board composition shape organizational effectiveness and institutional outcomes. The study adopted a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected from 116 respondents, including governing council members and senior administrators, across three private universities accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). A structured questionnaire, adapted from validated governance and performance scales, was used. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and SPSS were employed to test the relationships between board structure and oorganizational performance in Ghana’s Private Universities. The study found that board composition and board size had significant positive effects on the organizational performance of private universities in Ghana. However, board diversity did not show a statistically significant influence. The findings suggest that private universities in Ghana should pay closer attention to board composition and size, as these factors significantly enhance institutional performance. Governing bodies can improve effectiveness by recruiting members with diverse expertise, ensuring an optimal number of board members to balance efficiency and representation, and strengthening governance practices to support enrolment growth, academic quality, and financial stability. This study is among the first in Ghana to empirically examine how board structure influences organizational performance in private universities. It contributes new evidence from an underexplored higher education context, showing how governance arrangements shape institutional outcomes. The study also provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, regulators, and university councils to strengthen governance and improve competitiveness in emerging higher education systems.
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