From the top: Women's and men's views on accessing boards

Abstract

Women accessing board positions are still the exception to the rule in Australian businesses. In this paper, we report on research exploring men’s and women’s views on the factors crucial in attaining a board position. Both groups’ responses were analysed to gain insight into what current board members see as critical to accessing boards. While both groups identified the importance of a strong track record, a good understanding of business principles and business contacts in gaining board positions, we found that women also highlighted the importance of high visibility and family contacts to account for their nomination to boards.