Diversity, Merit and Power in the C-Suite

UK boardroom diversity has increased in recent years, but behind this success is a more uncomfortable truth. The most powerful positions remain stubbornly homogeneous. This book explores this phenomenon and connects it to the meaning and distribution of power, and the difficulties inherent in truly merit-based appointments.

Using the FTSE 100, this book examines the appointment and retention of the most powerful positions in some of the world’s most powerful corporations. A novel methodology for the indexing of power is developed, providing insights into the meaning of power, who wields it and how it is obtained. By looking at the constituents of the FTSE 100 C-suite, their background and the appointment policies of their respective institutions, a theory about why the c-suite has resisted diversification is advanced. In doing so, suggestions are made about how this stagnancy might be addressed.

Those studying or practising corporate law or management and anyone seeking a future in the boardroom will find this in-depth assessment of executive power beneficial. In a world crying out for better representation of women and ethnic minorities, this book considers some ways to advance this objective in the corporate world.