Networking to the top: formal networks and access to board positions for women (WOMBOARDNET)

Abstract:

Existing research shows that the numbers of women on boards are still very low except in countries that have implemented quota laws. The aim of the proposed IEF project is to explore the role of networks in relation to women’s access to board positions. The project will contribute to reinforce European excellence in questions of diversity and governance, and bring new insights into the much-debated issue of women on boards, which is highly relevant and topical for both academia and practice. More specifically, it will allow me to test and expanding the results of my PhD thesis in a different setting (i.e. corporate boards) and expand my knowledge of corporate governance and quantitative research, in particular social network analysis. The proposed line of work will make a strong contribution to the network literature by empirically testing the impact of women’s business networks and how they constitute a possible alternative to existing schemes at the individual and institutional levels. Then, the proposed research will contribute to existing research on corporate governance by linking the literature on women and networking with that on women and boards.