New Zealand boards and frontier firms

The Productivity Commission has published two reports: New Zealand boards and frontier firms and New Zealand frontier firms: A capabilities-based perspective. They shed light on how boards with the right mix of skills and experience can help “lift the eyes” of firms and assist them to survive and thrive in challenging times.

The New Zealand boards and frontier firms report was supported by the Institute of Directors. The Commission conducted interviews with 22 IoD members who are company directors and work with dozens of New Zealand’s leading firms. The discussions explored the role of boards in firms’ decisions to scale-up, innovate and expand overseas. 

The results highlighted the importance of directors having the “right DNA” to help grow value in their organisations. The report also includes  practical suggestions that could help all Kiwi firms.

The Productivity Commission also commissioned the BRG Institute to explain exactly how boards with strong “dynamic capabilities” can help firms innovate and thrive in a challenging and deeply uncertain environment. Dynamic capabilities enable forward-looking, strategic decisions about why and what a firm does. 

The New Zealand Productivity Commission – an independent Crown entity – was established in April 2011 and undertakes in-depth inquiry reports on topics selected by the Government, carries out productivity-related research, and promotes understanding of productivity issues.