Why women are a wise investment in the boardroom (From Watford Observer)
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Why women are a wise investment in the boardroom
8:40am Tuesday 16th November 2010 in Business News
Collaborative, sociable and consensual are all qualities which empower women in the boardroom, claims Professor Karen Pine, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.
When she speaks at the Autumn Seminar of the Financial Services Research Forum at Westminster, London, today Professor Pine will point out that positioning more women in senior corporate roles could be the simplest way to boost the economy and improve business performance.
Professor Pine, author of Sheconomics, a book designed to help women to explore their relationship with money, will present The Rise of the Sheconomist: Why women are a wise investment to a gathering of representatives from over eighty organisations, during which she will present evidence which proves a strong relationship between corporate financial success and the presence of a significant number of women in senior positions.
She will draw on findings from Naissance Capital Ltd, which reveal that having at least three women on the board of directors meant that it outperformed the competition on all measures by at least forty percent; from Norway where one in every three board members is a woman, and from Carnegie Mellon Business School, which found that women enhance the social sensitivity of groups.
Professor Pine will say: “In this paper, I shall argue that a blend of the complementary characteristics and styles of men and women has a positive impact on business profitability. I will also point out that despite these findings, women are under-represented at boardroom and management levels in the UK. Finally, I will remind my audience of how critically important it is to empower women globally and in all walks of life.”
Professor Pine will deliver The Rise of the Sheconomist: Why women are a wise investment at Financial Services Behaviours Knowledge Summit at Central Hall, Storey’s Gate, Westminster, at 1.45pm.
