The Consensus Trap: How Expert Agreement Can Conceal Decision Non-Closure in Corporate Governance Dr. Birgit Maria Kemphues | International Boardroom Studies | DNC-RP

The Consensus Trap: How Expert Agreement Can Conceal Decision Non-Closure in Corporate Governance Dr. Birgit Maria Kemphues | International Boardroom Studies | DNC-RP Ten experts may agree. A board may approve. A transaction may proceed. Yet a fundamental question remains: has the decision itself actually been resolved? This conceptual research paper challenges the assumption that expert agreement necessarily establishes decision readiness in corporate governance. It examines how professional consensus, institutional authority, executive influence and formal approval processes may create the appearance of closure while significant decision conditions remain unresolved. The paper forms part of the Decision Non-Closure Research Programme (DNC-RP), originated by Dr. Birgit Maria Kemphues. Drawing on more than 35 years of international business experience across Europe, Asia and the Gulf region, and exposure to decision-making environments in over 400 organisations, her research investigates the distinction between a decision that has been formally approved and one that can withstand independent scrutiny. The analysis develops a conceptual explanation of how expert agreement can reinforce authority, discourage further questioning and conceal unresolved assumptions, dependencies and accountability gaps. It considers alternative explanations and proposes directions for empirical investigation. At its centre is a governance question with direct implications for boards, chief executives, owners and high-stakes transactions: When everyone agrees, who is still examining the decision? The paper contributes to the developing DNC-RP framework by examining the relationship between expert consensus, organisational power, independent scrutiny and substantive decision closure. Author: Dr. Birgit Maria KemphuesResearch Programme: Decision Non-Closure Research Programme (DNC-RP)Research Field: Corporate Governance, Boardroom Decision-Making and Independent Sign-Off DiagnosticsDOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24011077Website: https://kemphues.com