Xiaoxu Zhang
Title
Dr.
Last Name
Zhang
First name
Xiaoxu
Email
xiaoxu.zhang@unisg.ch
Phone
+4171 2247154
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Item type:Publication, Flowers That Bloom in March, Do They Flourish in May? Career Paths of Leaders with Elite Education(2025)Does studying in an elite university pave the way for a successful career in the corporate world, all the way to the top? Although conventional wisdom associates elite credentials with strong general social and human capital and hence views those with such credentials as more competitive in the executive and director labor market, little is known about the form in which the education-derived competitive edge plays out and for how long it can sustain in one’s career trajectory. This study addresses these gaps by observing the career progression of a selected sample of directors and executives of Chinese listed firms who made their debut to the upper echelon labor market during the 2004-2022 period. The tracking discerns a significant competitive advantage in market entry in that executives and directors with degrees from elite universities tend to obtain their first top-ranked positions at earlier ages than those without. We also find that firm performance, candidate gender, and the market development level of the city where the firm is located serve as important boundary conditions. However, the study reveals that upon their first appearances, elite education background no longer predicts the speed or extent of further advancement to the pinnacle of corporate hierarchy – namely, the board chair position. These insights advance the understandings in director and executive selection and individual social and human capital.Type:conference paperJournal:Academy of Management Proceedings - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Janus-Faced Factional Divides – Can Independence-Based Faultlines Foster Board Effectiveness Following Corporate Failures?(2025-07-04); ; In this study, we endeavor to reveal the Janus face of boardroom factional faultlines. Contrary to conventional wisdom which stresses the detrimental effects of factional faultlines in creating schisms, distrust, and conflicts among members of work teams, our study shows that when the factional faultlines on the board are configured along the independent vs. non-independent statuses of directors, they are conducive to enhanced board decision making effectiveness in the face of corporate failures through reversing the marginalized positions of independent directors, heightening their motivation to fulfil the monitoring authority, and reducing the likelihood of collusion between independent and non-independent directors. Adopting a quasi-experimental research design with matched samples of listed Chinese firms, this study features how the presence of factional faultlines between independent and non-independent directors shapes boardroom dynamics and subsequent decision making outcomes in the contexts of two distinct types of corporate failures – i.e., competence failures and integrity failures. We find that in the wake of corporate failures, independence-based factional faultlines tend to reduce the level of dissent in board meetings. We also note that the influence of such factional faultlines on the board’s engagement in disciplinary actions and firm’s turnaround is conditional on the nature of the corporate failure. Our findings contribute to advancing the knowledge in board independence, factional faultlines, and leadership in crisis.Type:conference paper