Diversity at the Head Table : Bringing Complementary Skills and Experiences to the Board
A well-functioning board of directors needs diversity of experience and perspectives. If everybody thinks the same, then there is no need for a board; one individual would suffice! Diversity for its own sake, however, is not an improvement in gover...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2010/01/13134494/diversity-head-table-bringing-complementary-skills-experiences-board http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11100 |
| Summary: | A well-functioning board of directors
needs diversity of experience and perspectives. If everybody
thinks the same, then there is no need for a board; one
individual would suffice! Diversity for its own sake,
however, is not an improvement in governance; what matters
is the combination of complementary skills and experiences
that members bring to the table to better address the
challenges the company is likely to face. This paper
provides examples that help develop a better understanding
of each type of diversity needed on boards. Author sees
diversity as much more than gender or race-including such
other factors as experience, nationality, age, and tenure on
the board. He also sees the mix of people on boards
changing, depending on the business scales and stages of
business life cycles. |
|---|