Mothers on Boards - research request to the FTSE 100
You have a voice and if you work in a FTSE 100 company it would be terrific if you could use it to support a research request I made recently.
On March 2nd 2014 I wrote to the main media contact for each of the FTSE 100 companies (the biggest 100 companies by market capitalisation listed on the London Stock Exchange). Land Securities Plc was the first to respond. Today, Sunday 14th March I’ve written again.
Research request - e-mail to FTSE 100 companies 14/3/14
Dear X
I wrote to you two weeks ago asking your (or your client’s) board of directors to participate in a short piece of research. It may be more appropriately handled by your/your client’s Group Secretariat or Community Relations team.To recap, the research forms part of a PhD proposal - I am asking two simple questions and seeking responses by Friday 21st March:
- How many of your male board of directors are fathers (adoptive or natural and irrespective of the age of his offspring)?
- How many of your female board of directors are mothers (adoptive or natural and irrespective of the age of her offspring)?
Since writing to you, UK Business Secretary, Dr Vince Cable has backed recommendations which could see head-hunters draft women-only shortlists for board-level positions. Read the story in the Daily Telegraph (4/3/14): http://bit.ly/1fi7WFJ
Attention is ramping up on gender equality at the highest levels in British businesses and I am keen to explore how the likelihood of occupying a board-level position and being a parent is affected by gender. The research forms part of a Phd proposal.
I hope your board members are willing to participate. Understanding how becoming a parent affects career success could reveal new and significant practical interventions to increase female participation at the highest level in business and wider society.
If the board of directors are happy to participate but you are unable to notify of me of the figures by Friday 21st March please let me know.
Best regards,
Jessica Chivers
Managing Director, The Talent Keeper Specialists
www.talentkeepers.co.uk
Author, Mothers Work! (Hay House 2011)
Research request - e-mail to FTSE 100 companies 2/3/14
Dear X
In 2010 the UK Government tasked Lord Davies with leading a review into how obstacles can be removed to allow more women to reach Board level positions in organisations. Taken with academic research that demonstrates a host of ‘career costs’ associated with becoming a mother, I am keen to explore how the likelihood of occupying a board-level position and being a parent is affected by gender. The research forms part of a Phd proposal.
Mothers are a hot topic as you might know from Land Securities’ Chairman, Dame Alison Carnwath’s recent call for businesses to offer longer family-friendly career breaks as part of their talent-keeping strategy (10/2/14). Read the story in the Daily Telegraph: http://bit.ly/1fd9Bbh
I am keen to investigate the make-up of UK boards and am inviting all FTSE 100 companies to participate in my research by Friday 21st March. I am asking two simple questions:
- How many of your male board of directors are fathers (adoptive or natural and irrespective of the age of his offspring)?
- How many of your female board of directors are mothers (adoptive or natural and irrespective of the age of her offspring)?
I hope your board members are willing to participate. Understanding how becoming a parent affects career success could reveal new and significant practical interventions to increase female participation at the highest level in business and wider society.
If the board of directors are happy to participate but you are unable to notify of me of the figures by Friday 21st March please let me know.
Best regards,
Jessica Chivers
Managing Director, The Talent Keeper Specialists
www.talentkeepers.co.uk
Author, Mothers Work! (Hay House, 2011)
