Is Your Board Diverse Enough? A Recent Survey Says No

A rise in institutional and activist shareholder activity necessitates moves by boards to identify vulnerabilities in board renewal and performance and, in some cases, establish protocols for engagement, including the engagement of a more diverse group of directors. According to The Wall Street Journal, 75% of participants in a survey of approximately 4,000 board directors conducted by Harvard Business School, consultancy Spencer Stuart, and the WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation claimed they do not support boardroom diversity quotas. Just 9% of male directors queried claimed to be in favor of such quotas, as did slightly less than half (49%) of female respondents to the survey.