Board Homophily, Board Diversity and Network Centrality

Abstract

The relationships of multiple firms linked by interlocking directors are among classic subjects of studies within the social network approach in organizational research. Interlocking directorates enable exchange of information and resources between two or more firms that are linked by a director who participates in their boards. The phenomenon of interlocking directorates is a major area of research in management, sociology and political science, and has been investigated across different countries, cultures and governance systems. We present a study of interlocking directorates linking boards of firms that are listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The main aim of this paper is to investigate if board diversity and board homophily are related to positions in an interlocking directorates network. We apply methods of social network analysis.

Keywords

• board homophily
• board diversity
• board composition
• interlocking directorates
• social network analysis