Distaff Discrepancy: A report by the University of California-Davis Graduate
School of Management paints a “disappointing picture of female representation”
among the 400 largest public companies in California. Researchers based their
conclusions on annual reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, which showed that 122 of the 400 companies (about 31 percent) list
no female executives or board members. Nearly one in three firms—including such
well-known entities as Apple Computer, Callaway Golf and Skechers USA—reportedly
have no women in top management, according to UC Davis researchers.
The report is an indictment of California’s paternalistic business culture, concluding that: “It's clear that women continue to
be an untapped resource. The same innovative thinking that drives the world's
eighth-largest economy is not propelling women into top leadership positions at
the largest public companies in the Golden State.”
Silicon Valley and Orange County are said to have the “highest concentrations
of male-dominated firms” in California. In particular, female leaders rarely are
found in the telecommunications, electronics and semiconductor industries, while
retail and finance industries are said to have the highest percentage of women
in top executive roles.
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