Thesis defense
Silence and Violence Among Board Members: A CEB-Based Governance Lens on Conflict
Ph.D. Dissertation by E. Vidar Top
This dissertation explores how conflict unfolds in the boardroom—not only through overt clashes and microaggression (Violence), but also through subtle patterns of avoidance (Silence).
By reframing Walter B. Cannon’s classic fight-or-flight response as silence and violence, it shows how board members’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors shape governance outcomes. Across an extensive literature review, qualitative narratives, and a randomized experiment, the study reveals that directors often force their views or withdraw when conflict becomes personal. They also get emotional. This can undermine decision quality.
However, Top's research also demonstrates that board members can regulate their emotions and re-engage through cognitive reappraisal, transforming destructive spirals into constructive dialog. Offering a Cognitive–Emotional–Behavioral (CEB) governance lens, the dissertation provides fresh theoretical clarity and practical insights into how boards can move beyond stalemate, foster trust, and embrace healthy disagreement for improved governance.
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Top, V. (2025). Silence and Violence Among Board Members: Exploring Conflict Through a CEB-Based Governance Lens [Paper-based, University of South-Eastern Norway]. Drammen.
Top, V., Åberg, C., & Boe, O. (2024). Revisiting Walter Bradford Cannon's 100-year-old fight-or-flight concept. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 17(5), 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMCP.2024.139807
This dissertation explores how conflict unfolds in the boardroom—not only through overt clashes and microaggression (Violence), but also through subtle patterns of avoidance (Silence).
By reframing Walter B. Cannon’s classic fight-or-flight response as silence and violence, it shows how board members’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors shape governance outcomes. Across an extensive literature review, qualitative narratives, and a randomized experiment, the study reveals that directors often force their views or withdraw when conflict becomes personal. They also get emotional. This can undermine decision quality.
However, Top's research also demonstrates that board members can regulate their emotions and re-engage through cognitive reappraisal, transforming destructive spirals into constructive dialog. Offering a Cognitive–Emotional–Behavioral (CEB) governance lens, the dissertation provides fresh theoretical clarity and practical insights into how boards can move beyond stalemate, foster trust, and embrace healthy disagreement for improved governance.
---
Top, V. (2025). Silence and Violence Among Board Members: Exploring Conflict Through a CEB-Based Governance Lens [Paper-based, University of South-Eastern Norway]. Drammen.
Top, V., Åberg, C., & Boe, O. (2024). Revisiting Walter Bradford Cannon's 100-year-old fight-or-flight concept. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 17(5), 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMCP.2024.139807
