The benefits and drawbacks of generalist CEOs – those with the talent and skill to manage companies in various industries – have been fiercely debated in contemporary research. A research by Sasin’s Associate Professor Pattanaporn Chatjuthamard, Sasin’ Senior Research Fellow & Visiting Professor Sirimon Treepongkaruna and Sasin’s Visiting Professor Pornsit Jiraporn, contributes to the debate by exploring how independent directors view generalist and specialist CEOs. Most prior studies concentrate on assessing the effects of generalist CEOs on corporate outcomes and policies. This study, however, adopts a unique approach, focusing on how independent directors view generalist CEOs. Furthermore, the study contributes to the literature that exploits the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to ascertain the effects of board independence on various corporate outcomes. This study is the first to apply this approach to explore the impact of board independence on general managerial skills. Click here to read the full article on The CLS Blue Sky Blog, Columbia Law School’s Blog on corporate governance, financial regulation, restructuring, antitrust and kindred topics.