Career Options

Women on top

The more women in your boardroom, the better off your company will be, says a study by a professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Sun Wire Services
[ 2006-11-29 ]

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A survey of female directors, CEOs and corporate secretaries from Fortune 1000 companies found that corporations with three or more women on their boards "tend to benefit most from women's contributions," co-author Alison Konrad said in a release.

BOARDROOM


Having three or more women serving on a corporate board can have a significant effect in the boardroom and enhance corporate governance.

The study shows having three or more women brings a collaborative leadership style that benefits board dynamics; helps raise important and sometimes controversial issues; brings new perspectives and issues to the table; and raises tough questions.

The study shows that while one woman can and often does make substantial contributions, and two women are generally more powerful than one, increasing the number of women to three or more enhances the likelihood that women's voices and ideas are heard and that boardroom dynamics change substantially.


When there are three women present, they start being treated as individuals with different personalities, styles and interests.

"OUTSIDERS"


"We find that having three or more women on a board can create a critical mass where women are no longer seen as outsiders and are able to influence the content and process of board discussions more substantially," Konrad said.

Respondents to the study were adamant that women should not be brought on as tokens simply because they are women. To serve boards well, women need high-level corporate experience and the knowledge, skills and abilities required to contribute to board level discussions.



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