fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Article

Long-serving CEOs may weaken innovation, study finds

Phys · · 380 words · By University
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Long-serving CEOs may weaken innovation, study finds

A study from the University of East London suggests that long-serving CEOs may reduce a company's innovation and R&D investment over time. The research indicates that independent boards of directors can mitigate this effect by providing necessary challenges to leadership.

Propaganda risk 0%
Claims checked 6
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Long-serving CEOs may weaken innovation, study finds Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor A new study from the University of East London has found that companies led by long-serving chief executives may become less innovative over time unless…

Why it matters

The research examined 215 FTSE 350 companies over an 11-year period between 2010 and 2021.

Common ground

It explored how CEO tenure and independent directors influence a company's "R&D knowledge stock," which is the research, expertise and technological capability built through investment in innovation.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

A study from the University of East London suggests that long-serving CEOs may reduce a company's innovation and R&D investment over time. The research indicates that independent boards of directors can mitigate this effect by providing necessary challenges to leadership.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ceos-weaken.html

analyticsAnalysis

0%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “The study published in the journal Corporate Governance found that CEOs who remain in office for many years often become more cautious and less willing to back risky research and development projects.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm the study's finding that experienced CEOs and independent directors can become more cautious and less willing to back risky R&D projects, particularly during performance shortfalls.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Corporate governance refers to the mechanisms, processes, practices, and relations by which corporations are controlled and operated by their boards of directors, managers, shareholders, and stakehold…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_governance
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is shorthand for an investing principle that prioritizes environmental issues, social issues, and corporate governance. Investing with ESG considerations is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social,_and_gov…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of chief executive officers of notable companies. The list also includes lead executives with a position corresponding to chief executive officer (CEO), such as managing direct…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_executive_office…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “Author Dr. Igbekele Sunday Osinubi, of the Royal Docks School of Business and Law”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple authoritative sources, including the University of East London's own site and IDEAS/RePEc, confirm that Dr. Igbekele Sunday Osinubi is a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Docks School of Business and Law.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr Igbekele Osinubi is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting at the Royal Docks School of Business and Law. He completed his PhD Accounting at the University of Essex in 2015.
https://www.uel.ac.uk/about-uel/staff/igbekele-sunday-osinub…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Igbekele Sunday, Osinubi. Personal details. Affiliation. Research.Osinubi. Suffix: RePEc Short-ID: pos34. Royal Docks School of Business and Law, University of East London, University Square Campus, S…
https://ideas.repec.org/e/pos34.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Igbekele Osinubi is an academic and researcher with considerable experience in…View Dr Igbekele Osinubi’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-igbekele-osinubi-57752721
info
Claim 3: “Firms with higher numbers of independent directors were more likely to continue building innovation capacity with experienced CEOs”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions the relationship between experienced CEOs, independent directors, and R&D knowledge stock, but the specific positive correlation regarding 'building innovation capacity' is not explicitly detailed in the snippets provided beyond the title of the paper.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Innovation is related to, but not the same as, invention:[4] innovation is more apt to involve the practical implementation of an invention (i.e. new / improved ability) to make a meaningful impact in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — However, both experienced CEOs and independent directors become more cautious and less willing to back risky research and development projects when the company fails to meet performance aspirations, s…
https://www.brightsurf.com/news/L3RPXW68/long-serving-ceos-m…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — innovation input into output more efficient, as they imply the use of specific monitoring. mechanisms and lead to the development of capabilities valuable for innovation. In particular
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275653939_Doing_Mor…
check_circle
Claim 4: “Igbekele Sunday Osinubi, Long CEO tenure, independent directors and R&D knowledge stock: the moderating effect of performance shortfalls, Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society (2026). DOI: 10.1108/cg-03-2025-0173”
CORROBORATED
The specific paper title 'Long CEO tenure, independent directors and R&D knowledge stock: the moderating effect of performance shortfalls' is explicitly mentioned in multiple web search results (BrightSurf Science News and a PDF reference).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Long CEO tenure, independent directors and R&D knowledge stock: the moderating effect of performance shortfalls.
https://www.brightsurf.com/news/L3RPXW68/long-serving-ceos-m…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dr Igbekele Osinubi researches the interplay of financial reporting, corporate financing decision, investment decision and top management team.
https://essex.academia.edu/IgbekeleOsinubi
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Long CEO tenure, independent directors and R&D knowledge stock: the moderating effect of performance shortfalls.These effects, which are not influenced by the extent of competitive pressure, underscor…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266474844_The_role_…
info
Claim 5: “The research examined 215 FTSE 350 companies over an 11-year period between 2010 and 2021.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence confirms the existence of the FTSE 350 and the researcher's affiliation, the specific data points (215 companies, 11-year period 2010-2021) are not explicitly detailed in the provided search snippets, although the study's existence is confirmed.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sterling (symbol: £; currency code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories and formerly of the Kingdom of England. The pound is the main unit of sterling, a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pound_sterling
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Poverty in the United Kingdom is the condition experienced by the portion of the population of the United Kingdom that lacks adequate financial resources for a certain standard of living, as defined u…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_Kingdom
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The FTSE Straits Times Index (abbreviation: STI) is a capitalisation-weighted stock market index that is regarded as the benchmark index for the stock market in Singapore. It tracks the performance of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straits_Times_Index
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 6: “A new study from the University of East London has found that companies led by long-serving chief executives may become less innovative over time unless challenged by strong independent boards.”
CORROBORATED
The claim is supported by multiple web search results. One result explicitly mentions 'Long-serving CEOs may weaken innovation, study finds' and another references the specific paper title associated with the University of East London researcher.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — City St George's, University of London is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, it offici…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_St_George's,_University_o…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford and Docklands, following the opening of Univer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_East_London
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of London Worldwide (previously called the University of London International Academy) is the central academic body that manages external study programmes within the federal University …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_London_Worldwide
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.