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Irish board appointments are still dominated by a 'who you know' culture

And the Institute of Directors in Ireland has said there is limited appetite for change.

BOARDROOM APPOINTMENTS AT Irish organisations remain dominated by a ‘who you know’ culture, according to a new survey.

A study by the Institute of Directors in Ireland (IOD) has shown that more than two-thirds of appointees to Irish boards are acquainted with three or more board members before they get a director’s job.

The research also showed that unconscious bias is limiting any chance of addressing gender disparity at board level.

Speaking about the results of the survey, IOD chief executive Maura Quinn said the transparent nature of state board appointments showed diversity is being taken into account, but the private sector in Ireland is “lagging behind”.

“Board members tend to appoint directors in their own likeness and so the ‘who you know’, informal approach, through personal contacts and networks, means that there is little opportunity to achieve meaningful diversity in the boardroom,” she said.

According to the survey of 302 IOD members, men are more than twice as likely to be appointed to a board through a direct approach rather than an independent process.

The report also highlighted that ethnic diversity is also another issue facing Irish boards. The research noted that there is a “clear absence of racial and ethnic diversity” in Irish boardrooms and there is a “limited appetite for change”.

Capture The main barriers women face at board level Institute of Directors in Ireland Institute of Directors in Ireland

Click here for a larger version

Diversity

Based on the results of the survey, gender diversity is widely recognised a key factor when recruiting new board members.

However, Quinn noted that although directors have shown support for the benefits of diversity, limited formal action has been taken to address the issue.

“Without formal diversity policies in place or a transparent and open appointment process, it will be difficult to move beyond the status quo,” she said.

Quinn added that the old-fashioned nature of boards in Ireland has also fostered “groupthink” at Irish companies.

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed noted that 30% or less of their board members were women, while more than a quarter said that the female boardroom representation was less than 10%.

Close to half of the men surveyed said that there weren’t enough suitably qualified women to work at the boardroom level, while a fifth of men think there are no barriers for women becoming directors at all.

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Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie

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    Mute Ross MacCárthaigh
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    Jan 15th 2014, 3:26 PM

    Good News for clubs etc that want to travel to events and keep costs down. Such clubs usually struggle for funds. Ryanair making some good changes lately. Check in with phone next please!

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    Mute Stephen D
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    Jan 15th 2014, 4:47 PM

    You can’t get a flight for €20 and expect Emirates first class service. Maybe someday the naysayers will realize this.

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    Mute Dave Dson
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    Jan 15th 2014, 3:14 PM

    Now 20 people can have a sore arsê after 30 minutes instead of just one. Progress.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Jan 15th 2014, 4:10 PM

    I’ve flown many times with Ryanair, I’m 6ft and I’ve never got a “sore arse”. Maybe your big fat wallet in your back pocket is causing your problem.

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    Mute Pat Donlon
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    Jan 15th 2014, 4:11 PM

    I think shareholders should fire Mr O’Leary with immediate effect for been an a!!hole for the last tn”years. All of the current changes were OBVIOUS and could have made them billions more if implemented long long ago

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    Mute John the Baptist
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    Jan 15th 2014, 4:33 PM

    yes Pat ‘ Billions’ and they were so obvious that Aer Lingus who have them for some time have also made ‘ Billions’ from them. Ask any Ryanair investor They are blissfully happy with Michael’s business model

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    Mute brian magee
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    Jan 15th 2014, 11:33 PM

    So Pat, you think that you could have created one of the largest airline in the worlds from what Aer lingus once described as a small regional airline.
    The man is a genius and has done a great job to date. I reckon the share holders live him

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    Mute gerbreen
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    Jan 16th 2014, 12:15 AM

    AL employee?

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    Jan 15th 2014, 5:41 PM

    How about cutting the cost of bringing a bike? you do get groups of cyclists.

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    Mute Conor Mac Manus
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    Jan 15th 2014, 3:44 PM

    Sounds very messy, imagine sharing a flight with a hen etc.

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    Mute Chris Judge
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    Jan 15th 2014, 3:59 PM

    It’s not going to be much messier than it already is. I assume people already travel in large groups on other airlines, even with Ryanair. This will just make it simpler to book those flights.

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    Mute ferbo
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    Jan 15th 2014, 4:48 PM

    And they will refuse boarding to some if they are short of seats – You pay for EU261 protection, but Ryanair do not allow EU261 claims for denied boarding! May their planes drop out of the sky!

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 15th 2014, 4:58 PM

    Your an absolute g*bshite!

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 15th 2014, 5:04 PM

    You’re*

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    Mute Ray McMonagle
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    Jan 15th 2014, 7:48 PM

    Ryanair do not oversell flights

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    Mute brian magee
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    Jan 15th 2014, 11:34 PM

    What are you on about? European air lines don’t over sell seats

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    Mute RonanM123
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    Jan 16th 2014, 3:05 AM

    All airlines do especially on high freq routes by around 5-10% on average.

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    Mute brian magee
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    Jan 16th 2014, 3:38 PM

    No they don’t

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    Mute Timmay Timeo
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    Jan 15th 2014, 9:50 PM

    Avoid avoid avoid….forever

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jan 16th 2014, 3:43 PM

    Brian Ryanair overbook their flights by 10% in most cases as studies show 10% of pax don’t show up. 189 pax on the plane, booked for 208, 10% no show for check in leaves just under a full flight

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