Leading or presiding officer of an organized group
The
chairperson
, also
chairman
,
chairwoman
or
chair
, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a
board
,
committee
, or
deliberative assembly
. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group or organisation, presides over meetings of the group, and conducts the group's business in an orderly fashion.
[1]
In some organizations, the chairperson is also known as
president
(or other title).
[2]
[3]
In others, where a board appoints a president (or other title), the two terms are used for distinct positions. The term chairman may be used in a neutral manner, not directly implying the gender of the holder. In meetings or conferences, to "chair" something (chairing) means to lead the event.
[4]
Terminology
[
edit
]
Terms for the office and its holder include
chair
,
chairperson
,
chairman
,
chairwoman
,
convenor
,
facilitator
,
moderator
,
president
, and
presiding officer
.
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
The chairperson of a parliamentary chamber is sometimes called the
speaker
.
[10]
[11]
Chair
has been used to refer to a
seat
or office of authority since the middle of the 17th century; its earliest citation in the
Oxford English Dictionary
dates to 1658?1659, four years after the first citation for
chairman
.
[12]
[13]
[14]
Feminist critiques have analysed
Chairman
as an example of
sexist
language, associating the male gender with the exercise of authority, this has led to the widespread use of the generic "Chairperson".
[15]
In
World Schools Style debating
, as of 2009,
chairperson
or
chair
refers to the person who controls the debate; it recommends using
Madame Chair
or
Mr. Chairman
to address the chairperson.
[16]
The
FranklinCovey Style Guide for Business and Technical Communication
and the
American Psychological Association
style guide advocate using
chair
or
chairperson
.
[17]
[18]
The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style
(2000) suggested that the gender-neutral forms were gaining ground; it advocated
chair
for both men and women.
[19]
The Daily Telegraph
's style guide bans the use of
chair
and
chairperson
; the newspaper's position, as of 2018, is that "chairman is correct English".
[20]
The
National Association of Parliamentarians
adopted a resolution in 1975 discouraging the use of
chairperson
and rescinded it in 2017.
[21]
[22]
Usage
[
edit
]
The word
chair
can refer to the place from which the holder of the office presides, whether on a chair, at a lectern, or elsewhere.
[1]
During meetings, the person presiding is said to be "in the chair" and is also referred to as "the chair".
[1]
Parliamentary procedure
requires that members address the "chair" as "Mr. (or Madam) Chairman (or Chair or Chairperson)" rather than using a name ? one of many customs intended to maintain the presiding officer's impartiality and to ensure an objective and impersonal approach.
[7]
[24]
In the British
music hall
tradition, the chairman was the
master of ceremonies
who announced the performances and was responsible for controlling any rowdy elements in the audience. The role was popularised on British TV in the 1960s and 1970s by
Leonard Sachs
, the chairman on the variety show
The Good Old Days
.
[25]
"Chairman" as a quasi-title gained particular resonance when socialist states from 1917 onward shunned more traditional
leadership
labels and stressed the collective control of
Soviets
(councils or committees) by beginning to refer to executive figureheads as "Chairman of the X Committee".
Lenin
, for example, officially functioned as the head of Soviet Russian government not as prime minister or as president but as "Chairman of the
Council of People's Commissars
".
[26]
[27]
At the same time, the head of the state was first called "Chairman of the
Central Executive Committee
" (until 1938) and then "Chairman of the Presidium of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
". In Communist China,
Mao Zedong
was commonly called "Chairman Mao", as he was officially
Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party
and
Chairman of the Central Military Commission
.
Roles and responsibilities
[
edit
]
Duties at meetings
[
edit
]
In addition to the administrative or executive duties in organizations, the chairperson presides over meetings.
[28]
Such duties at meetings include:
- Calling the meeting to order
- Determining if a
quorum
is present
- Announcing the items on the "order of business", or
agenda
, as they come up
- Recognition
of members to have the
floor
- Enforcing the rules of the group
- Putting questions (
motions
) to a vote, which is the usual way of resolving disagreements following discussion of the issues
- Adjourning the meeting
While presiding, the chairperson should remain impartial and not interrupt a speaker if the speaker has the floor and is following the rules of the group.
[29]
In committees or small boards, the chairperson votes along with the other members; in assemblies or larger boards, the chairperson should vote only when it can affect the result.
[30]
At a meeting, the chairperson only has one vote (i.e. the chairperson cannot vote twice and cannot override the decision of the group unless the organization has specifically given the chairperson such authority).
[31]
Powers and authority
[
edit
]
The powers of the chairperson vary widely across organizations. In some organizations they have the authority to hire staff and make financial decisions. In others they only make recommendations to a
board of directors
, and or may have no executive powers, in which case they are mainly a
spokesperson
for the organization. The power given depends upon the type of organization, its structure, and the rules it has created for itself.
Disciplinary procedures
[
edit
]
If the chairperson exceeds their authority, engages in misconduct, or fails to perform their duties, they may face disciplinary procedures. Such procedures may include
censure
, suspension, or
removal from office
. The rules of the organization would provide details on who can perform these disciplinary procedures.
[32]
Usually, whoever appointed or elected the chairperson has the power to discipline them.
Public corporations
[
edit
]
There are three common types of chairperson in public corporations.
Chairman and CEO
[
edit
]
The
chief executive officer
(CEO) may also hold the title of chairperson, in which case the board frequently names an independent member of the board as a lead director. This position is equivalent to the position of
president-directeur general
in France.
[
citation needed
]
Executive chairman
[
edit
]
Executive chairperson is an office separate from that of CEO, where the titleholder wields influence over company operations, such as
Larry Ellison
of
Oracle
,
Douglas Flint
of
HSBC
and
Steve Case
of
AOL Time Warner
. In particular, the group chair of
HSBC
is considered the top position of that institution, outranking the chief executive, and is responsible for leading the board and representing the company in meetings with government figures. Before the creation of the group management board in 2006, HSBC's chair essentially held the duties of a chief executive at an equivalent institution, while HSBC's chief executive served as the deputy. After the 2006 reorganization, the management cadre ran the business, while the chairperson oversaw the controls of the business through compliance and audit and the direction of the business.
[33]
[34]
[35]
Non-executive chairman
[
edit
]
Non-executive chairperson is also a separate post from the CEO; unlike an executive chairperson, a non-executive chair does not interfere in day-to-day company matters. Across the world, many companies have separated the roles of chairperson and CEO, saying that this move improves corporate governance. The non-executive chairperson's duties are typically limited to matters directly related to the board, such as:
[36]
- Chairing the meetings of the board.
- Organizing and coordinating the board's activities, such as by setting its annual agenda.
- Reviewing and evaluating the performance of the CEO and the other board members.
Examples
[
edit
]
Many companies in the US have an executive chairperson; this method of organization is sometimes called the American model. Having a non-executive chairperson is common in the UK and Canada; this is sometimes called the British model. Expert opinion is rather evenly divided over which is the preferable model.
[38]
There is a growing push by public market investors for companies with an executive chairperson to have a lead independent director to provide some element of an independent perspective.
[39]
[40]
The role of the chairperson in a private equity-backed board differs from the role in non-profit or publicly listed organizations in several ways, including the pay, role and what makes an effective private-equity chairperson.
[41]
Companies with both an executive chairperson and a CEO include
Ford
,
[42]
HSBC
,
[43]
Alphabet Inc.
,
[44]
and
HP
.
[45]
Vice-chairperson and deputy chairperson
[
edit
]
A vice- or deputy chairperson, subordinate to the chairperson, is sometimes chosen to assist and to serve as chairperson in the latter's absence, or when a motion involving the chairperson is being discussed.
[46]
In the absence of the chairperson and vice-chairperson, groups sometimes elect a
chairperson
pro tempore
to fill the role for a single meeting.
[47]
In some organizations that have both titles, deputy chairperson ranks higher than vice-chairperson, as there are often multiple vice-chairpersons but only a single deputy chairperson.
[48]
This type of deputy chairperson title on its own usually has only an advisory role and not an operational one (such as
Ted Turner
at Time Warner).
[49]
An unrelated definition of vice- and deputy chairpersons describes an executive who is higher ranking or has more seniority than an
executive vice-president
(EVP).
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Robert, Henry M.; et al. (2011).
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised
(11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 22.
ISBN
978-0-306-82020-5
.
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 448
- ^
Sturgis, Alice
(2001).
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure
(Fourth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 163.
ISBN
978-0-07-136513-0
.
- ^
"Chairing"
.
Cambridge Dictionary
(Online ed.)
. Retrieved
22 January
2024
.
- ^
Hellinger, Marlis, ed. (2001).
Gender across languages: The Linguistic Representation of Women and Men (IMPACT: Studies in Language and Society)
. Amsterdam: Benjamins. p. 125.
ISBN
90-272-1841-2
.
- ^
"Chairperson"
. Merriam-Webster
. Retrieved
2014-01-10
.
- ^
a
b
Sturgis 2001
, p. 11
- ^
"moderator"
.
Chambers 21st Century Dictionary
via Search Chambers
. Edinburgh:
Chambers Harrap
.
- ^
Although
convener
means someone who summons (convenes) a meeting, the convener may take the chair. The
Oxford English Dictionary
(2nd edition, 1989) offers this citation: 1833 Act 3?4 Will. IV, c. 46 §43 "The convener, who shall preside at such committee, shall be entitled to a casting vote." This meaning is most commonly found in assemblies with Scottish heritage.
- ^
"The many roles of the Speaker"
.
New Zealand Parliament
. Office of the Speaker,
Parliament of New Zealand
. 2006-02-01. Archived from
the original
on 2019-05-09
. Retrieved
2019-05-09
.
- ^
"About Parliament: The Lord Speaker"
.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
. Archived from
the original
on 2008-06-09
. Retrieved
2008-10-23
.
... responsibilities of the Lord Speaker include chairing the Lords debating chamber,...
- ^
Merriam-Webster's dictionary of English usage
. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster. 1993. p. 235.
ISBN
0-87779-132-5
.
- ^
"Chairman"
.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
. 2006
. Retrieved
2008-10-22
.
- ^
See also the
American Heritage Dictionary
, the
Oxford English Dictionary
, the online edition of the current Merriam-Webster Dictionary,
Word Origins
by Anatoly Liberman (page 88),
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage
(page 235)
- ^
*
Margrit Eichler (28 October 2013).
Nonsexist Research Methods: A Practical Guide
. Routledge. p. 14.
ISBN
978-1-134-97797-0
.
Typically, these analyses pointed out the use of so-called generic male terms as sexist... As a consequence of these critiques, guides were published that replaced so-called generic male terms with truly generic terms: policeman became police officer; fireman, fire fighter; postman, mail carrier; workman, worker; chairman, chairperson; mankind, humanity; and so on.
- Barrie Thorne; Nancy Henley (1975).
Language and Sex: Difference and Dominance
. Newbury House Publishers. p. 28.
ISBN
9780883770436
.
Is it possible to change sexist language? ... Much of the debate has centered around two types of change: the coining of new terms (such as
Ms.
to replace
Miss/Mrs.
, and
chairperson
to replace
chairman
and
chairwoman
), and various proposal to replace
he
as the generic third person singular pronoun.
- Dale Spender (1990).
Man Made Language
. Pandora. pp. 29?30.
ISBN
978-0-04-440766-9
.
Another factor which we must bear in mind is that women need more words - and more positive words - not less. The removal of sexist words would not leave a large repertoire of words for women to draw upon! ... Some attempts have been made to modify sexist words and there arc signs that this on its own is insufficient to reduce sexism in language. Words such as police
officer
and chair
person
have been an attempt to break away from the negative value which female words acquire by the creation of sex-neutral terms
- "The language of gender"
.
Oxford Living Dictionary
. Oxford University Press. Archived from
the original
on 2019-05-10
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
People also object to the use of the ending -
man
in words referring to professions and roles in society, for example
postman
,
spokesman
, or
chairman
. Since women are generally as likely as men to be involved in an occupation or activity nowadays, this type of word is increasingly being replaced by gender-neutral terms, e.g.
postal worker
,
spokesperson
, or
chair
/
chairperson
.
- "Chairman - More About"
.
Oxford Learner's Dictionary
. Oxford University Press.
Archived
from the original on May 30, 2017
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
When you are writing or speaking English it is important to use language that includes both men and women equally. Some people may be very offended if you do not ... Neutral words like
assistant
,
worker
,
person
or
officer
are now often used instead of -
man
or -
woman
in the names of jobs ... Neutral words are very common in newspapers, on television and radio and in official writing, in both British English and North American English.
- "Chairman - Note"
.
Cambridge Dictionary
. Cambridge University Press
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
Although chairman can refer to a person of either sex, chairperson or chair is often preferred to avoid giving the idea the person is necessarily male.
- "Chairperson (usage note)"
.
Dictionary.com
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
Chairperson has, since the 1960s, come to be used widely as an alternative to either chairman or chairwoman. This change has sprung largely from a desire to avoid chairman, which is felt by many to be inappropriate and even sexually discriminatory when applied to a woman ... Chairperson is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
- "Chairman (usage note)"
.
Macmillan Dictionary
. Springer
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
Many people prefer to say chair or chairperson, because the word chairman suggests that the person in this position is always a man.
- "Chairman (usage note)"
.
The American Heritage Dictionary
. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
These compounds sometimes generate controversy because they are considered sexist by some people who believe that -
man
necessarily excludes females. Others believe that -
man
, like the word
man
itself, is an accepted and efficient convention that is not meant to be gender-specific.
- "Chairman (usage note)"
.
Collins English Dictionary
. Retrieved
2019-05-20
.
Chairman
can seem inappropriate when applied to a woman, while
chairwoman
can be offensive.
Chair
and
chairperson
can be applied to either a man or a woman;
chair
is generally preferred to
chairperson
- Marshall Cavendish Corporation (2010).
Sex and society Volume 1: Abstinence ? Gender Identity
. New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference. p. 300.
ISBN
978-0-7614-7906-2
.
- Zinsser, William (2007).
On writing well : the classic guide to writing nonfiction
(30. anniversary ed., 7. ed., rev. and updated, [Nachdr.] ed.). New York: HarperCollins. p.
81
.
ISBN
978-0-06-089154-1
.
- ^
Quinn, Simon (2009).
Debating in the World Schools style: a guide
. New York: International Debate Education Association. p. 5.
ISBN
978-1-932716-55-9
.
- ^
England, Breck; Covey, Stephen R.; Freeman, Larry H. (2012).
FranklinCovey style guide for business and technical communication
(5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: FT Press. p. 27.
ISBN
978-0-13-309039-0
.
- ^
Gurung, Regan A. R.; Schwartz, Beth M.; Landrum, R. Eric (2012).
An easyguide to APA style
. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications. p. 54.
ISBN
978-1-4129-9124-7
.
- ^
Garner, Bryan A. (2000).
The Oxford dictionary of American usage and style
(2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 61.
ISBN
0-19-513508-3
.
- ^
"Banned words"
.
The Telegraph
. 23 January 2018.
Archived
from the original on 2022-01-10.
- ^
"Chair, Chairperson, Chairman ... Which Should You Use?"
.
National Association of Parliamentarians
. 6 October 2017. Archived from
the original
on 2019-02-21
. Retrieved
2019-02-20
.
- ^
Miller, Casey; Swift, Kate (2000).
The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing: For writers, editors and speakers
(2nd ed.). Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.com. p. 32.
ISBN
0-595-15921-4
.
- ^
Dixit, Aabha (24 September 2018).
"Ambassador Leena Al-Hadid Takes Over as New Chairperson of IAEA Board of Governors"
. International Atomic Energy Agency.
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 23
- ^
Baker, Richard Anthony (2014).
British Music Hall: An Illustrated History
. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. p. 207.
ISBN
978-1-78383-118-0
.
- ^
Cawthorne, Nigel
(2012-07-24).
Stalin: The Murderous Career of the Red Tsar
. Arcturus Publishing (published 2012).
ISBN
978-1-84858-951-3
. Retrieved
2015-02-25
.
[...] Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Molotov and Abel Yenukidze [...] began discussing the structure of the new government. Lenin did not want to have 'ministers' as such, so Trotsky suggested that they should be called "peoples' commissars". The government itself would be the "Council of People's Commissars" and its chairman would be prime minister, in effect.
- ^
Brackman, Roman (2004).
The Secret File of Joseph Stalin: A Hidden Life
. Routledge. p. 116.
ISBN
978-1-135-75840-0
.
On 26 October 1917, Lenin announced the creation of the Council of People's Commissars, having rejected the traditional title of
minister
as being too "bourgeois", and named himself the "Chairman of the Council".
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 449
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 44: "The presiding officer must never interrupt a speaker simply because he knows more about the matter than the speaker does."
- ^
"Frequently Asked Questions about RONR (Question 1)"
.
The Official Robert's Rules of Order Web Site
. The Robert's Rules Association. Archived from
the original
on 2004-11-12
. Retrieved
2015-12-17
.
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 406
- ^
"Frequently Asked Questions about RONR (Question 20)"
.
The Official Robert's Rules of Order Web Site
. The Robert's Rules Association. Archived from
the original
on 2004-11-12
. Retrieved
2015-12-24
.
- ^
HSBC investors against Michael Geoghegan becoming chairman
. Telegraph. Retrieved on 2013-08-22.
- ^
HSBC chief Michael Geoghegan 'to quit' after failing to get top job
Archived
2013-12-04 at the
Wayback Machine
. News.com.au (2010-09-24). Retrieved on 2013-08-22.
- ^
HSBC ex-chief Michael Geoghegan relaxes as another marathon looms
. Telegraph. Retrieved on 2013-08-22.
- ^
Kefgen, Keith (2004-05-11).
"The Non-Executive Chairman Comes of Age"
.
HVS web site
. HVS. Archived from
the original
on 27 October 2007
. Retrieved
2011-04-03
.
- ^
"We at Confidencen: Board and General Management"
. Retrieved
9 May
2019
.
- ^
Behan, Beverly (10 January 2008).
"Splitting the Chairman and CEO roles"
.
BusinessWeek
. Archived from
the original
on 2011-04-16
. Retrieved
2011-04-03
.
- ^
"COMMONSENSE PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"Corporate Governance Principles for US Listed Companies"
. Archived from
the original
on 2 February 2017.
- ^
"What is the role of a chair of the board in a private equity company?\"
.
www.nurole.com
. 2018-05-04. Archived from
the original
on 2019-02-26
. Retrieved
2019-02-25
.
- ^
"About Us"
.
Ford Motor Company
.
Ford Motor Company
. 2019. Archived from
the original
on 2011-05-11
. Retrieved
2011-04-05
.
- ^
"Leadership"
.
HSBC
. 2019
. Retrieved
2011-04-05
.
- ^
"Board - Investor Relations"
. Retrieved
2011-04-05
.
- ^
"HP Investor Relations ? Board of directors"
.
Hewlett-Packard
. Retrieved
2011-09-24
.
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 452
- ^
Robert 2011
, p. 453
- ^
"Leadership"
.
Rbccm.com
. Retrieved
8 October
2017
.
- ^
"Ted Turner quits as AOLTW Vice Chairman ? TV News"
. Digital Spy. 2003-01-29
. Retrieved
2011-12-31
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Trohan, Colette Collier (2014).
A Great Meeting Needs a Great Chair
. A Great Meeting.
ASIN
B00NP7BR8O
.
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