Joshua Beauchamp
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Mentor(s): Cindy Schipani
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Business Law / Business
Program:
Authors: Joshua Beauchamp, Cindy Schipani
Session: Session 7: 4:40 pm – 5:30 pm
Poster: 59
Abstract
In a world being ameliorated by transformation, there is increasing importance for the role of women. In 2018, the state of California implemented a law in which at least one woman is required to be on each board. Although the law has been challenged in the courts, most companies complied with the first phase of the law. A concern often raised about mandates is that lesser qualified people will be selected to fulfill the mandate. Subsequently, research was conducted to examine the board qualifications of men serving on California boards to compare these qualifications to those of newly appointed women on the boards. Numerous board members in California were examined, and information regarding each male member’s previous experience was gathered, including boards worked on, other C-suite experience, and general experience. Comparisons were completed, in conjunction with the data gathered about female work experience, to determine if the policy has affected the experience of Californian board members. The results are expected to yield a demonstration that the 2018 mandate did not result in fewer qualified board members. However, we are also examining whether the law resulted in giving more women the opportunity to serve on boards, or whether it resulted in mostly the same women serving on more boards. More work needs to be conducted to produce the results in development. Ultimately, sexism is not only present in California and on the boards of companies; rather, it has embedded itself into the way people think and speak about generic topics. Ultimately, the results produced from the research will assist Professor Cindy A. Schipani’s work on the varying work experiences of board members in California. Schipani plans to submit a paper for publication which she hopes will help more women bring their capabilities to the table.
