Women are increasing in number among corporations' boards of directors, yet their representation is far from uniform across firms. In this study, we adopted a resource dependence theory lens to identify organizational predictors of women on boards. We tested our hypotheses using panel data from the 1,000 U.S. firms that were largest in terms of sales between 1990 and 2003. We found that organizational size, industry type, firm diversification strategy, and network effects (linkages to other boards with women directors) significantly impact the likelihood of female representation on boards of directors.

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S cholars and practitioners are interested in board effectiveness, yet we know relatively little about directors' engagement in the boardroom. We integrate identity theory and social identity theory research with literature on board monitoring and resource provision to model how directors' multiple identities affect their behavior. We propose that directors' strength of identification with multiple identities affects the extent to which they engage in monitoring and resource provision. We discuss implications for corporate governance research and practice.

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