Women at the Top in British Retailing: A Longitudinal Analysis

The massive under-representation of women at the highest levels in British companies has been noted in retailing as elsewhere. But it has been difficult to set the current situation in perspective in the absence of longitudinal studies of recruitment patterns. This article examines the gender composition of the boards of directors of Britain's largest retail firms over the last 40 years. The results show that, following a lengthy period in which female retail directors were noticeable largely by their absence, a relatively small but significant breakthrough has recently taken place. The educational backgrounds, of the women members of today's retail boards, their length of board service, ages and the positions they hold both inside and outside retailing are also examined and compared with those of their male counterparts.