Women in Senior Management - Why Not?

Abstract

This paper uses data from a recently completed project by the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust on gender parity in senior management positions in the Top 100 companies on the New Zealand Stock Exchange which contributed to the Human Rights Commission’s New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation 2010. The findings are then compared with Australia, the US, and the UK and discussed in the light of existing research into evidence of the business benefits of more equitable representation, and barriers to women’s representation at senior management level. The paper concludes with suggestions for improving gender parity at senior management level.