Yuewei Gao
Pronouns: she/hers
Research Mentor(s): Cindy Schipani
Co-Presenter:
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Business Law / Business
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: Session 4 – 2:40pm – 3:30 pm
Room: League Ballroom
Authors: Yuewei Gao, Cindy Schipani
Presenter: 84
Abstract
In 2018, women held approximately one out of every five corporate board seats of Russell 1,000 companies. California’s Senate Bill No. 826, Chapter 954, approved September 30, 2018 added sections 301.2 and 2115.5 to the Corporations Code. Senate Bill 826 requires publicly held corporations, whose principal executive offices are located in California, according to the corporations Sec 10-K form, to have at least one female on its board of directors by the end of 2019. The bill will then increase its female board member requirements by the end of 2021 to at least two female board members if the corporation has 5 directors, and to 3 female board members if the corporation has 6 or more directors. California’s Legislature declares that the women on boards mandate will boost the California economy as well as improve opportunities for women in the workplace (CA SB826, § 1 (a). 2018). However, since the approval of SB826, the constitutionality of the women quota has been questioned in regards to its compliance with the fourteenth amendment. This research questions the claim that the women quota impairs the ability to vote for the most qualified candidate. This research will compare the qualifications of women board members elected before and after the enactment of SB826 to determine if the mandate has influenced shareholders to appoint less qualified female board members.
Social Sciences
