Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to interrogate changes to women's representation on boards from an institutional perspective in a particular national context (Australia). Design/methodology/approach - Drawing on institutional theory at the legal, political and social levels to identify t...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sheridan, A., Ross-Smith, A., Lord, Linley
Format: Journal Article
Published: Emerald Group Publishing 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/53774
_version_ 1848759225699794944
author Sheridan, A.
Ross-Smith, A.
Lord, Linley
author_facet Sheridan, A.
Ross-Smith, A.
Lord, Linley
author_sort Sheridan, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to interrogate changes to women's representation on boards from an institutional perspective in a particular national context (Australia). Design/methodology/approach - Drawing on institutional theory at the legal, political and social levels to identify the factors through which women's underrepresentation on corporate boards in Australia gained traction over the period 2009-2012. Findings - Through the analysis of the Australian context over the period 2009-2012, the paper proposes a framework to represent the multiple, differentiated and often conflicting spheres affecting women's representation on boards and how this may have wider application internationally. Research limitations/implications - In focusing on the institutional factors, the paper does not mean to underplay organisational factors relevant to women's access to board positions; rather the author seeking to draw attention to how the organisational factors may be shaped by changing institutional "rules". From the interrogation of the conditions under which women's underrepresentation on corporate boards in Australia gained traction, the paper provides a conceptual foundation for the emerging study of institutions and women's representation on corporate boards internationally. Practical implications - The purpose of documenting these institutional changes in Australia is to be instructive to others addressing the practical problem of how to increase women's representation on boards and what institutional factors may need to be considered to prompt change. Originality/value - The conceptual framework adds to the as yet relatively under-theorised field of women on corporate boards. Copyright © 2014 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T09:56:30Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-53774
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T09:56:30Z
publishDate 2014
publisher Emerald Group Publishing
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-537742017-09-13T15:47:53Z Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study Sheridan, A. Ross-Smith, A. Lord, Linley Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to interrogate changes to women's representation on boards from an institutional perspective in a particular national context (Australia). Design/methodology/approach - Drawing on institutional theory at the legal, political and social levels to identify the factors through which women's underrepresentation on corporate boards in Australia gained traction over the period 2009-2012. Findings - Through the analysis of the Australian context over the period 2009-2012, the paper proposes a framework to represent the multiple, differentiated and often conflicting spheres affecting women's representation on boards and how this may have wider application internationally. Research limitations/implications - In focusing on the institutional factors, the paper does not mean to underplay organisational factors relevant to women's access to board positions; rather the author seeking to draw attention to how the organisational factors may be shaped by changing institutional "rules". From the interrogation of the conditions under which women's underrepresentation on corporate boards in Australia gained traction, the paper provides a conceptual foundation for the emerging study of institutions and women's representation on corporate boards internationally. Practical implications - The purpose of documenting these institutional changes in Australia is to be instructive to others addressing the practical problem of how to increase women's representation on boards and what institutional factors may need to be considered to prompt change. Originality/value - The conceptual framework adds to the as yet relatively under-theorised field of women on corporate boards. Copyright © 2014 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/53774 10.1108/EDI-05-2013-0029 Emerald Group Publishing restricted
spellingShingle Sheridan, A.
Ross-Smith, A.
Lord, Linley
Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study
title Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study
title_full Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study
title_fullStr Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study
title_full_unstemmed Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study
title_short Institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: An Australian case study
title_sort institutional influences on women's representation on corporate boards: an australian case study
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/53774