10.00
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15.00
Drammen, A5508 and Zoom
E. Vidar Top is defending his thesis for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD) at the University of South-Eastern Norway.
The doctoral work has been carried out at the USN School of Business in the program Management.
You are invited to follow the trial lecture and the public defence.
Summary
When tensions rise in the boardroom, most leaders don’t explode—they go silent. Conflict isn’t just loud; it’s often quiet.
Research by Vidar Top reveals that both silence and violence stem from the same emotional fight-or-flight reaction.
When board members feel threatened or dismissed, they either withdraw or dominate, and both behaviors tend to destroy decision processes and quality, often leading to stalemate scenarios.
Top's studies show that emotions play a more significant role in board dynamics than previously recognized.
Drawing on real boardroom stories and a controlled experiment, data revealed that directors often get personal when conflict escalates. Yet his research also offers hope: by using cognitive reappraisal, i.e., the ability to reinterpret tense moments, board members can regulate their emotions, restore dialog, and rebuild trust.
The dissertation introduces a Cognitive–Emotional–Behavioral (CEB) governance lens, showing how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors together shape outcomes. The findings suggest a practical truth: it’s not disagreement that harms governance, but rather the emotional reactions that silence it.
This research provides chairs and board members with new insights into fostering openness, turning friction into learning, and creating psychologically safe boardrooms where disagreement becomes a strength.