News
Hong Kong’s boardrooms also dominated by males
Following last week's launch of the 2009 Female FTSE report, the findings from a new report that looks into the number of women at the top of Hong Kong’s leading organisations as listed on the Hang Seng Index is released today (Thursday 26 November).
According to the report from The International Centre for Women Leaders at Cranfield in partnership with Community Business, a non-profit organisation based in Hong Kong, just 8.9% of all board positions on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index listed companies, are held by women.
A pdf of the full report can be downloaded here.
The Female FTSE 2009 Launch
The latest report Female FTSE Report 2009 was launched on 19th November. A pdf of the full report can be downloaded here.
Recent Books
Susan Vinnicombe and Val Singh are co-editors of a recent Edward Elgar book, (also co-edited with Ron Burke, Diana Bilimoria and Morten Huse) Women on Corporate Boards of Directors. Centre Members Ruth Sealy and Siri Terjesen are also chapter co-authors.
Susan Vinnicombe, Deirdre Anderson, Val Singh and Ruth Sealy have also had chapters published in two exciting new leadership books:
- K Turnbull James and J.S. Collins (eds), Leadership Perspectives: Knowledge into Action, London: Palgrave 2008
- K Turnbull James and J.S. Collins (eds), Leadership Learning: Knowledge into Action, London: Palgrave 2008
The ECU Diversity of Governing Bodies Project
Susan Vinnicombe, Val Singh, Deirdre Anderson and Dr Sarah Rutherford have won a research contract from the Equality Challenge Unit to examine diversity in the membership of governing bodies of universities and other higher education institutions, the engagement of the governing body with diversity issues, and the influence of the governing bodies in terms of diversity of staff and students. The project will run from June 2008, and the report will be published in 2009.
Forthcoming 2009 journal articles by Centre members
- Ruth Sealy and Dr. Val Singh have had their article "Role models, work identity and senior women's career progression: Why are role models important?" accepted for publication in International Journal of Management Review.
- Dr. Siri Terjesen, Ruth Sealy and Dr. Val Singh have had their article "Women directors on corporate boards: A review and research agenda" accepted for publication in Corporate Governance: An International Review.
Several 2008 journal articles by Centre members
- Dr Savita Kumra and Prof Susan Vinnicombe (2008) "Impressing for Success: A gendered analysis of a key social capital accumulation strategy", Gender Work & Organization.
- Dr Savita Kumra and Prof Susan Vinnicome (2008) "A Study of the Promotion to Partner Process in a Professional Services Firm: How Women are Disadvantage", British Journal of Management, Vol. 19, S65-S74.
- Dr Siri Terjesen and Dr Val Singh (2008) "Female Presence on Corporate Boards:A Multi-Country Study of Environmental Context", The Journal of Business Ethics, 83, 1, 55.
- Dr Val Singh, Dr Siri Terjesen and Prof Susan Vinnicombe (2008) "Newly appointed directors in the boardroom: How do women and men differ?" European Management Journal, vol 26, 1, 48.
- Dr. Clare Kelliher and Dr. Deirdre Anderson (2008) "For better or for worse? An analysis of how flexible working practices influence employees' perceptions of job quality", International Journal of Human Resource Management,Vol. 19 Issue 3, p419-431
Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2008
Several of the ICWL members are presenting papers at the Academy of Management Conference in Los Angeles in August, as well as taking part in a symposium and a caucus.
Ruth Sealy is presenting new work on role models; Susan Vinnicombe is taking part in a Caucus on Women Directors; Deirdre Anderson is presenting a paper on flexible working arrangements, whilst Elena Doldor and Val Singh have a paper on organizational politics.
Visiting Fellows in the Centre
Dr Val Singh, who formally retired from Cranfield University in January 2008, has been appointed Visiting Fellow to Cranfield School of Management, and a Recognised Teacher of the University. Val is continuing to work at Cranfield on a part-time basis, as well as undertaking other consultancy work.
Dr Sarah Rutherford, a diversity consultant with previous non-executive director experience, has been appointed as a Visiting Fellow to Cranfield School of Management. She will work with centre members on some research projects.
The Female FTSE 2007 Launch, together with the UKRC Good Practice Guide for Inclusive Boardroom Cultures, 14 November 2007
The Female FTSE 2007 was launched by the Minister for Women, Barbara Follett MP, at a breakfast meeting hosted by Sir John Parker, Chairman of National Grid plc, in the National Grid boardroom in the Strand. The launch was attended by FTSE 100 chairmen, chief executives, directors and other supporters of increasing gender diversity in the boardroom. Copies of the Report and the Good Practice Guide can be downloaded from the Centre's Research Papers page.
Fulbright Award for Elena Doldor
Elena Doldor, who has just completed the first year of her PhD into organisational politics and gender, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Award to study for 10 months in the USA with Professor Alice Eagly, one of the outstanding academics in the leadership field.
Two Best Papers in British Academy of Management 2007
Savita Kumra and Susan Vinnicombe's paper '‘A study of the promotion to partner process in a professional services firm: how women are disadvantaged’ was given the Best Paper Award in the Gender in Management track. The work was based on Savita's doctoral research undertaken in the Centre.
Dale Nelson, Susan Vinnicombe and Joe Jaina's paper "How do elected leaders and chief executives in UK local authorities construe the top job? Implications for future appointments" was given the Best Paper Award in the Organisational Psychology track. The work was based on Dale's doctoral research undertaken in the Centre.
Best Papers in Gender Diversity & Organization Division at the US Academy, Aug 2007
Former Centre doctoral student Dr Siri Terjesen and Dr Val Singh have been given a Best Paper Award in the Gender Diversity & Organization Division at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, 2007. The paper is entitled "Global Prerequisites of Politics, Pay and Pipeline for the Presence of Women Corporate Directors". A shorter version will be published in the AOM Best Paper Proceedings 2007. The full paper has since been accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Ethics.
This is the second year running that Centre members have won this award. In 2006, Ruth Sealy and Dr Val Singh were given the same distinction for their paper “Role models, work identity and senior women’s career progression – Why are role models important?”, at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
Professor Susan Vinnicombe receives OBE for services to diversity
Professor Susan Vinnicombe, Director of the School of Management's Centre for Developing Women Business Leaders, was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the New Year Honours 2006. The accolade was awarded for Professor Vinnicombe's services to diversity. She has lectured, researched, consulted and published in the field of women in management for twenty years and regularly speaks on radio, television and at international conferences. The focus of her work is increasingly on the issues facing women operating at, or striving to reach, corporate board level.
Professor Vinnicombe said: "This achievement has been made possible by the support I have received in all my work on diversity over the years. Particular thanks go to Dr Val Singh and the members of our Centre for Developing Women Business Leaders. I am tremendously proud of the reputation that we have built across the world for both our research work and leadership programmes."
Professor Vinnicombe received her OBE from Prince Charles at a ceremony in June 2005 at Buckingham Palace.