Why aren't More Women on Corporate Boards?: Views of Women Directors

1996 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 840-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Women On Boards ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards

This study examined views of 280 women directors as to why so few women sit on corporate boards. They served on Canadian corporate boards of directors and completed anonymous questionnaires. Women directors wanted more women on boards. Attitudes of male CEOs and board Chairmen were seen as the biggest obstacle.

scholarly journals Presence of Women on Board: Reference to BSE-30 Companies from 2010-2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
Nisa S
Keyword(s):  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Global Workforce ◽  
Talent Pool ◽  
Women Employees ◽  
Board Performance ◽  
Changing Demographics

The need for gender diversity in the board rooms is getting accepted at corporate levels both national and international. Any change which is brought about voluntarily is more effective and long lasting. Gender representation on corporate boards of directors refers to the proportion of men and women who occupy board member positions. Studies have shown that even though there is no real dearth of talent pool, India, comparatively, has significantly a very low percentage of women representation on boards. No one doubts the importance of diversity in boardrooms, especially in improving corporate governance. With the changing demographics of the global workforce and the fact that women will control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028, globally companies cannot underestimate the importance of improving the gender balance on their boards. Women are increasingly becoming a major driver of the economy, both as contributors and as customers; it is appropriate that they be a part of the team leading companies. Past researches have shown that boards with more women members act as a motivator to other women employees within the organization. Continuing reliance on existing directors is likely to dilute the quality of board members. Broadening the talent pool by including women directors will help boards get skilled and competent members with a diversity of perspectives and leadership styles who can significantly contribute to board performance. The following study was conducted to assess the presence of women on board in BSE 30 listed companies from 2010 to 2014.

scholarly journals Women Do the Job: The Reasons to Set Quota for Women on Boards

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Sara De Masi ◽  
Agnieszka Słomka-Gołębiowska ◽  
Andrea Paci
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Board Structure ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Controlling Shareholder ◽  
Female Directors ◽  
Women On Boards ◽  
Board Monitoring ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards ◽  
Family Connection

In 2012 Italy introduced quota to increase the number of women on corporate boards. The aim of our research is to shed more lights on how women on boards, after the enforcement of quota law, improve the board functions and the board structure. Our study focuses on all Italian FTSE MIB companies from 2008 to 2015. Italy is a country where the percentage of female directors was very low before quota. Female directors, when present, were linked through a family connection to the controlling shareholder. Our research demonstrates that a higher percentage of women on boards, after the quota, leads to a higher board members attendance and more board meetings, thus a better board monitoring. We document that, after quota, one more women to the board results in increasing the board involvement in strategy and the independence of audit committee. Our findings provide empirical support on the effectiveness of female directors, suggesting important implications of the quota legislation on the “type” of women elected.

Perceived roles of women directors on supervisory boards: Insights from a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Joecks ◽  
Kerstin Pull ◽  
Katrin Scharfenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Critical Incident ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Potential Problems ◽  
Supervisory Boards ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards

The (under-)representation of women on corporate boards is much debated among the public as well as in academia. In our exploratory article, we contribute to the literature by investigating women directors’ perceived roles by interviewing female as well as male board members and by employing the critical incident technique to address potential problems of social acceptancy. In the perception of board members, women directors fulfil three roles: they widen the boards’ perspectives and thus act as (unique) experts, they objectify discussions and they act as mediators.

scholarly journals Critical mass theory and women directors’ contribution to board strategic tasks

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 42-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariateresa Torchia ◽  
Andrea Calabrò ◽  
Morten Huse ◽  
Marina Brogi
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Test ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Legislative Measures

In this article we offer an empirical test of the critical mass arguments in the discussion of women on corporate boards. The literature in the women on corporate board debate concludes that there must be at least three women on a board before the women really make a difference. These arguments are frequently used in the public debate about the understanding the impact of women on corporate boards, but they have never really been empirically tested on a large sample. In this paper we use a sample of 317 Norwegian firms. Our dependent variable is board strategic involvement. The findings support the critical mass arguments. This study offers useful insights to policy-makers interested in defining legislative measures mandating the presence of women directors in corporate boards by showing that “at least three women” may be particularly beneficial in terms of contribution to board strategic tasks.

scholarly journals Women on boards and monitoring tasks: an empirical application of Kanter's theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara De Masi ◽  
Agnieszka Słomka-Gołębiowska ◽  
Andrea Paci
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Directors ◽  
Women On Boards ◽  
Board Monitoring ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper examines the relationship between women on boards and board monitoring tasks depending on group categories identified in the Kanter's theory.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of the largest listed companies in Spain, Italy and France during the period 2007–2017, this study tests the effect of women's presence based on the following board categories: (1) skewed boards with a percentage of women that is less than 20%; (2) tilted boards with a percentage of women that ranges from 20% to 33%; (3) tilted boards with a percentage of women that is more than 33%; and (4) balanced boards with an equal or quasi-equal gender distribution. The authors use the case of the gender board quota regulation in different European Union countries.FindingsThe results suggest that tilted boards engage in stronger firm monitoring and that the effect of women on board monitoring tasks is positive and statistically significant when the percentage of female directors reaches the threshold of 33%.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of this study help policymakers identify the minimum threshold that quota regulations should mandate in order for boards to be effective.Originality/valueThis paper moves forward the ongoing debate about the effect of women on corporate boards, shifting the focus from the ratio or presence of female directors to the size of the group they form within the board. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to test Kanter's theory by investigating the relationship between women on boards and board monitoring.

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