Gender Diversity in Senior Management and Boards
The following is a selection of key books and journal articles ongender diversity in senior management and boards.
Adams, R.B. and Ferreira, D. (2009) 'Women in the Boardroom and Their Impact on Governance and Performance', Journal of Financial Economics, 94: 291-309.
Ahern, K. and Dittmar, A. (2012) ‘The Changing of the Boards: The Impact on Firm Valuation of Mandated Female Board Representation’, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 127, 1: 137-97.
Brammer, S., Millington, A. and Pavelin, S. (2007) 'Gender and Ethnic Diversity Among UK Corporate Boards', Corporate Governance, 15, 2: 393-403.
Brown, S., Kelan, E, and Humbert, A.L. (2015) Opening the Black Box of Board Appointments: Women's and Men's Routes to the Boardroom.London: King's College.
Burgess, Z. and Tharenou, P. (2002) 'Women Board Directors: Characteristics of the Few', Journal of Business Ethics, 37, 1: 39-49.
Burke, R. (1997) Women Directors: Selection, Acceptance and Benefits of Board Membership', Corporate Governance: An International Review, 5, 3: 118-25.
Campbell, K. and Minguez-Vera, A. (2008) 'Gender Diversity in the Boardroom and Firm Financial Performance', Journal of Business Ethics, 83, 3: 435-51.
Catalyst (2014)Increasing Gender Diversity on Boards: Current Index of Formal Approaches. New York: Catalyst.
Choudhury, B. (2014) ‘New Rationales for Women on Boards’, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 34, 3: 511-42.
Choudhury, B. (2015) ‘Gender Diversity onBoards: Beyond Quotas,’European Business Law Review, 26, 1:229-43.
Davidson, M.J. and Burke, R.J. (2011) Women in Management Worldwide: Progress and Prospects. Farnham: Gower.
Deloitte (2013)Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective.3rd edition. London: Deloitte.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2011) Women on Boards. (Davies Review).London:Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2015) Improving the Gender Balance on British Boards: Women on Boards - Davies Review Five Year Summary. London:Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Doldor, E., Vinnicombe, S., Gaughan, M., and Sealy, R. (2012) Gender Diversity on Boards: The Appointment Process and the Role of Executive Search Firms. EHRC Research Report no. 85. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Dreher, G.F. (2003) 'Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Effects of Sex Ratios and Work-Life Programs on Female Leadership at the Top', Human Relations, 56, 5: 541-62.
Equality and Human Rights Commission (2014) Appointments to Boards and Equality Law. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Equality and Human Rights Commission (2016) How to Improve Board Diversity: A Six-step Guide to Good Practice. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Equality Human Rights Commission (2016) An Inquiry into Fairness, Transparency, Diversity in FTSE 350 Board Appointments. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Fagan, C., Gonzalez Menendez, M.C. and Gomez Anson, S. (2012) Women on Corporate Boards and in Top Management: European Trends and Policy. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Financial Reporting Council (2011)Feedback Statement: Gender Diversity on Boards.London: Financial Reporting Council.
Green Park Interim & Executive Search (2015), The Green Park Leadership 10,000: Spring 2015. London: Green Park.
Grosvold, J., Brammer, S. and Rayton, B. (2007) 'Board Diversity in the United Kingdom and Norway: An Exploratory Analysis', Business Ethics: A European Review, 16, 4: 344-57.
Hawarden, R. J. andMarsland, S. (2011) ‘Locating Women Board Members in Gendered Director Networks’, Gender in Management: An International Journal, 26, 8: 532-49.
Hillman, A. (2015) ‘Board Diversity: Beginning to Unpeel the Onion,’Corporate Governance, 23, 2: 104-07.
Hillman, A., Shropshire, C. and Cannella, A. (2007) 'Organizational Predictors of Women on Corporate Boards', Academy of Management Journal, 50, 4: 941-52.
Ladegard, G. and Elstad, B. (2009) ‘Diversity and perceived influence in corporate boards: The case of Norway’, European Academy of Management 9th Annual Conference, 11–14 May, Liverpool. Available at:
Lewis, R. and Rake, K. (2008) Breaking the Mould for Women Leaders: Could Boardroom Quotas Hold the Key? London: Fawcett Society. Available at:
Marshall, J. (2007) 'The Gendering of Leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility', Journal of Organisational Change Management, 20, 2: 165-81.
Metcalf, H. and Rolfe, H. (2009)Employment and Earnings in the Finance Sector: A Gender Analysis. EHRC Research Report no. 17. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission. Available at:
Miller, L. and Neathey, F. (2004) Advancing Women in the Workplace: Case Studies. EOC Working Paper Series no. 13. Manchester: Equal Opportunities Commission.
Morrison, A.M., White, R.P. and Van Velsor, E. (1990) Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of America's Largest Corporations? Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Pesonen, S., Tienari, J. and Vanhala, S. (2009) 'The Boardroom Gender Paradox', Gender in Management, 24, 5: 327-45.
Radloff, K (2012) Gender Quotas and Positive Action under EU Equality Law. Hamburg: Diplomica Verlag.
Ragins, B.R., Townsend, B. and Mattis, M. (1998) 'Gender Gap in the Executive Suite: CEOs and Female Executives Report on Breaking the Glass Ceiling', Academy of Management Executive, 12, 1: 28-42.
Ross-Smith, A. E. and Bridge, J. (2008) 'Glacial At Best: Women's Progress on Corporate Boards in Australia', in Vinnicombe, S., Singh,V. and Burke, R.J., Bilomoria, D. and Huse, M. (eds.), Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: International Research and Practice, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham: 79-87.
Sealy, R. and Doherty, N. (2012) Women in finance: a springboard to corporate board positions?London: The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Sealy, R., Doldor, E. and Vinnicombe, S. (2009) Increasing Diversity on Public and Private Sector Boards – Part 1 – How Diverse are Boards and Why? London: Government Equalities Office. Available at:
Sealy, R., Doldor, E. and Vinnicombe, S. (2009) Increasing Diversity on Public and Private Sector Boards – Part 2 – What is Being Done to Improve Diversity on Boards and How Effective is This? London: Government Equalities Office.
Singh, V. and Vinnicombe, S. (2004) 'Why So Few Women Directors in Top U.K. Boardrooms? Evidence and Theoretical Explanations', Corporate Governance, 12, 4: 479-88.
Singh, V., Terjesen, S. and Vinnicombe, S. (2008) 'Newly Appointed Directors in the Boardroom: How Do Women and Men Differ?' European Management Journal, 26, 1: 48-58.
Singh,V., Vinnicombe, S. and Kumra, S. (2006) 'Women in Formal Corporate Networks: An Organisational Citizenship Perspective', Women in Management Review, 21, 6: 458-82.
Terjesen, S. and Singh, V. (2008) 'Female Presence on Corporate Boards: A Multi-Country Study of Environmental Context', Journal of Business Ethics, 83, 1: 55-63.
Terjesen, S., Sealy, R. and Singh, V. (2009) 'Women Directors on Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda', Corporate Governance: An International Review, 17, 3: 320-37.
Thewlis, M., Miller, L. and Neathey, F. (2004) Advancing Women in the Workplace: Statistical Analysis. EOC Working Paper Series no. 12. Manchester: Equal Opportunities Commission.
Thompson, Y (2014) 7 Traits of highly successful women on boards views from the top and how to get there. St. Albans: Panoma Press.
Vinnicombe, S., Doldor, E. and Turner, C. (2014) The Female FTSE Board Report 2014: Crossing the Finish Line, Cranfield School of Management: Cranfield.
Vinnicombe, S., Doldor, E., and Sealey, R. (2015) The Female FTSE Board Report 2015 Putting the UK Progress into a Global Perspective. Cranfield School of Management.
Vinnicombe, S., Singh, V., Burke, R.J., Bilimoria, D. and Huse, M. (2008) Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: International Research and Practice. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Wang, M., and Kelan, E. (2013) ‘The Gender Quota and Female Leadership: Effects of the Norwegian Gender Quota on Board Chairs and CEOs’, Journal of Business Ethics, 117, 3: 449-66.
David Sparrow
31 March 2016
1