Ebook: Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: International Challenges and Opportunities

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).

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This volume, the first to focus exclusively on women serving on corporate boards of directors, provides the latest thinking and research findings on this increasingly important corporate governance issue. It includes censuses of women directors in a number of countries, identifies reasons for their limited numbers, indicates why appointing qualified women to boards offers competitive advantages, and suggests practical ways corporations can attract, recruit and appoint more women board members.
Researchers interested in gender and corporate governance issues, companies interested in increasing their numbers of women board members, and women and men serving or hoping to serve on corporate boards will find this book of interest.

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This volume, the first to focus exclusively on women serving on corporate boards of directors, provides the latest thinking and research findings on this increasingly important corporate governance issue. It includes censuses of women directors in a number of countries, identifies reasons for their limited numbers, indicates why appointing qualified women to boards offers competitive advantages, and suggests practical ways corporations can attract, recruit and appoint more women board members.
Researchers interested in gender and corporate governance issues, companies interested in increasing their numbers of women board members, and women and men serving or hoping to serve on corporate boards will find this book of interest.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-x
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: Where do We go from Here?....Pages 3-10
The Future of Corporate Women....Pages 11-23
Building the Business Case for Women Corporate Directors....Pages 25-40
Front Matter....Pages 41-41
Women Corporate Directors in the United States....Pages 43-56
Making It to the Top in Britain....Pages 57-73
The Paradox of Affirmative Action for Women Directors in Israel....Pages 75-96
Women on Canadian Corporate Boards of Directors: Still a Long Way to go....Pages 97-109
What Distinguishes Women Nonexecutive Directors from Executive Directors?....Pages 111-127
The New Zealand Experiment-Training to be on Board as a Director....Pages 129-144
Taking a Seat on the Board: Women Directors in Britain....Pages 145-155
Company Size, Board Size and Numbers of Women Corporate Directors....Pages 157-167
Front Matter....Pages 169-169
Women on Boards of Directors: Gender Bias or Power Threat?....Pages 171-177
Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: Understanding the Context....Pages 179-196
The Experiences of White Women on Corporate Boards in Canada....Pages 197-212
Public Sector Board Composition in Australia: Leading the Way....Pages 213-235
Front Matter....Pages 237-237
From Male Locker Room to Co-ed Board Room: A Twenty-Five Year Perspective....Pages 239-251
Making Boards Work....Pages 253-261
Catalyst Corporate Board Placement: New Seats at the Table....Pages 263-269
Back Matter....Pages 271-273

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This volume, the first to focus exclusively on women serving on corporate boards of directors, provides the latest thinking and research findings on this increasingly important corporate governance issue. It includes censuses of women directors in a number of countries, identifies reasons for their limited numbers, indicates why appointing qualified women to boards offers competitive advantages, and suggests practical ways corporations can attract, recruit and appoint more women board members.
Researchers interested in gender and corporate governance issues, companies interested in increasing their numbers of women board members, and women and men serving or hoping to serve on corporate boards will find this book of interest.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-x
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: Where do We go from Here?....Pages 3-10
The Future of Corporate Women....Pages 11-23
Building the Business Case for Women Corporate Directors....Pages 25-40
Front Matter....Pages 41-41
Women Corporate Directors in the United States....Pages 43-56
Making It to the Top in Britain....Pages 57-73
The Paradox of Affirmative Action for Women Directors in Israel....Pages 75-96
Women on Canadian Corporate Boards of Directors: Still a Long Way to go....Pages 97-109
What Distinguishes Women Nonexecutive Directors from Executive Directors?....Pages 111-127
The New Zealand Experiment-Training to be on Board as a Director....Pages 129-144
Taking a Seat on the Board: Women Directors in Britain....Pages 145-155
Company Size, Board Size and Numbers of Women Corporate Directors....Pages 157-167
Front Matter....Pages 169-169
Women on Boards of Directors: Gender Bias or Power Threat?....Pages 171-177
Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: Understanding the Context....Pages 179-196
The Experiences of White Women on Corporate Boards in Canada....Pages 197-212
Public Sector Board Composition in Australia: Leading the Way....Pages 213-235
Front Matter....Pages 237-237
From Male Locker Room to Co-ed Board Room: A Twenty-Five Year Perspective....Pages 239-251
Making Boards Work....Pages 253-261
Catalyst Corporate Board Placement: New Seats at the Table....Pages 263-269
Back Matter....Pages 271-273
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