Shortage of Women in Top Management Positions in Calif. Businesses, Says Study
DAVIS, Calif.
There is a woman sitting in only one of every 10 chairs at the boardroom tables and executive desks of California’s 200 largest publicly traded companies, and that means a missed opportunity for business, according to a study released by the University of California, Davis.
In the first study of its kind to take a critical look at the participation of women in corporate leadership in California, researchers from the Graduate School of Management found women hold only 10.2 percent of the combined board seats and highest-paid executive officer positions. Specifically, they occupy only 202 seats, or 11.4 percent, of the 1,771 board seats and 8.2 percent of the 1,006 executive slots.
The report comes as corporate leadership is being held to a higher level of accountability, and the study’s authors say greater representation of women makes good business sense.
“We believe that bringing more women into the boardroom and the executive ranks will lead to stronger relationships with customers and shareholders and result in more diverse and profitable businesses,” the authors say.
“The 2005 UC-Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders” was prepared by Dr. Nicole Woolsey Biggart, dean of the management school, and professors Dr. Kim Elsbach and Dr. Katrina Ellis.
