Getting Women On To Corporate Boards

Getting Women on to Corporate Boards will prove an invaluable resource for policy-makers, principle-setters, practitioners and students interested in the international lessons from Norway, as well as for current and potential female directors.

Both the practitioner and academic communities have voiced strong opinions regarding the progress of women in reaching the executive suite and the corporate boardroom. Proponents on each side of the current debate offer evidence suggesting the accuracy of their respective positions. One view holds: "The fight is over. The battle is won. Women are now accepted as outside directors in the preponderance of corporate boardrooms" (Lear, 1994: 10). An alternative perspective, however, suggests there is much progress left. An illustration of the type of remaining barriers is provided by T. J. Rodgers, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. , who has commented that "a 'woman's view' on how to run our semiconductor company does not help us" (Rodgers, 1996: 14). Regardless of where one falls along the spectrum anchored at one end by the view that women have made substantial progress in reaching the upper echelons of corporations and anchored at the other end by the view that women have barely begun to penetrate the "inner sanctum" of corporations, the central issue is the extent to which women have succeeded in cracking the proverbial "glass ceiling. " The glass ceiling is a metaphorical barrier which prevents women from attaining the upper-most organizational positions (e. g. , Karr, 1991; Morrison, White, Van Velsor, and the Center for Creative Leadership, 1992; Powell & Butterfield, 1994; U. S. Department of Labor, 1991).

Female presence and involvement on boards improves firm performance, transforms corporate governance and leads to the transition towards more responsible business. Corporate boards are essential bodies for governance and management and their efficiency determines a company’s performance. The board is a crucial element of the corporate governance structure and its efficiency and performance determines the success of the operation and monitoring of the company. The board is viewed as the liaison between providers of capital (shareholders) and managers who use this capital to create value. The board role is to represent, formulate and fulfill the interests and expectations of shareholders as the owners of the companies. The discussion surrounding female participation in business inevitably needs to refer to their presence on corporate boards. It is also a reliable indicator of a gender equality policy and advancement, adopted by countries and companies. The book traces the logic behind the decision patterns of female involvement in governance and management. In particular, it identifies the patterns of women’s presence on corporate boards, with respect to theoretical and conceptual argumentation, policy and regulatory implication, as well as practical adaptation. The phenomenon of women on corporate boards is analyzed in the context of different political, cultural and institutional environments addressing challenges in both developed and emerging economies. The role of female directors is viewed as one of the crucial aspects in corporate governance, adding to the quality of control and management.

The lack of women on boards has galvanised much public and policy interest, which has led to many countries introducing quotas for women on boards, or to concerted voluntary action. However the way that directors are appointed remains opaque and prone to the influence of gender. Using a social constructionist understanding of gender and a discourse analysis, Gender and Corporate Boards explores the board appointment process through the experiences of women and men seeking non-executive board roles. The book is unique in that it traces board-ready candidates, who have been vetted by an executive search firm, over an 18-month period. By taking a longitudinal and prospective view rather than retrospective and snapshot, it provides deep analysis of how the board appointment process is gendered. This volume privileges the voices of those who are seeking board roles to show how they make sense of an unpredictable and complex process. Gender and Corporate Boards first analyses how aspirant board candidates see themselves in relation to the market, through exploring their perceptions of the ideal board member and how they position themselves towards this ideal. Second, the book shows how candidates must leverage their networks to get board appointments, and that the process is gendered: women and men receive different benefits from their networks. Third, the book explores how the participants make sense of success and failure and how their justifications are also gendered. The book will be of interest to those seeking to understand dynamics of gender on boards as well as those interested in gender and leadership more broadly.

This important new book addresses the growing international interest in women on corporate boards of directors. The contributors explore the position of women on corporate boards and future trends in different countries including Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Jordan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Tunisia, the UK and the USA. They go on to report the latest research on the experiences and different contributions made by women directors on corporate boards. Issues discussed include: How women directors champion difficult issues and debates How women influence boardroom behaviour The contribution of women directors' human and social capital Gendered experiences and the glass cliff The glass ceiling or a bottleneck? Networking to harness local power for national impact Women on board in best practice companies Whether critical mass makes a difference? Future directions for research. Women on Corporate Boards of Directors brings together the significant international research base with suggestions aimed at individuals aspiring to board membership, women and men currently serving on corporate boards, companies interested in attracting women to their boards, and government bodies wanting to identify the challenges and opportunities facing them as they consider various options for increasing women's representation on corporate boards. This will also be an important book for academics interested in women directors, women's careers at senior levels in organizations and workforce diversity.

This book examines the international trends and associated developments in gender equality policy including corporate governance such as gender quotas. International comparative analysis is combined with detailed analysis of eight European countries with different policy regimes and trajectories.

. . . a thorough and insightful examination of women on corporate boards of directors. . . I recommend the book as a read for practitioners, scholars, educators and others having an interest in human resource management. . . With its wealth of information, Women on Corporate Boards of Directors is a good addition to the extant literature that should represent an affordable value for the buyer. Mark Mone, Personnel Review After the first two chapters I was so absorbed I was almost reluctant to go to coffee and, as other coffee addicts will know, it is a rare book, especially a rare academic book that can make one careless in observing the customary coffee break. . . I found that the way this book is written helped me to reflect on much of the gender research that I am involved in currently because the questions raised are so searching and far-reaching. Once again, the chapter authors combine brevity with thoroughness and depth in their examination of the themes, which made this a very rewarding book because it takes you so far in your thinking in just 240 pages. . . I feel energised by the debates that the book has opened up for me. I have done research in this particular area, but I now feel that I have explored different perspectives and new depths and I am grateful to the editors for that. Marianne Tremaine, Gender in Management: An International Journal This timely collection of case studies and research from top academics around the world, will be of tremendous value to all those engaged in bringing about greater gender diversity in corporate boardrooms. Jacey Graham, Brook Graham LLP This book provides an excellent overview of contemporary international research and practice relating to women on corporate boards of directors. An important lesson learnt from this book is: rather than having only one or two competent and committed women on the boards of directors, an ideal number of three is not only the right thing but also the bright thing to do. Why? Research has documented a strong positive correlation between the share of board seats held by women and financial performance. Martin Hilb, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland There are still common barriers that women face across many countries that keep their representation on boards of directors low and relatively unchanging. I commend this excellent, outstanding book to both academics and business management constituencies, as well as individuals interested in serving on corporate boards. The authors should be congratulated for this important contribution to the literature. Marilyn Davidson, The University of Manchester, UK This important new book addresses the growing international interest in women on corporate boards of directors. The contributors explore the position of women on corporate boards and future trends in different countries including Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Jordan, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Tunisia, the UK and the USA. They go on to report the latest research on the experiences and different contributions made by women directors on corporate boards. Issues discussed include: How women directors champion difficult issues and debates How women influence boardroom behaviour The contribution of women directors human and social capital Gendered experiences and the glass cliff The glass ceiling or a bottleneck? Networking to harness local power for national impact Women on board in best practice companies Whether critical mass makes a difference? Future directions for research. Women on Corporate Boards of Directors brings together the significant international research base with suggestions aimed at individuals aspiring to board membership, women and men currently serving on corporate boards, companies interested in attracting women to their boards, and government bodies wanting to identify the challenges and opportunities facing them as they consider various options for increasing women s representation on corporate