Analysis of Gender Equity and Business Ethics in California

This assignment delves into the intersection of business ethics and social responsibility, with a specific focus on gender equity within corporate leadership. The student analyzes the state government of California's Gender-Diverse BOD law, which mandates quotas for women on the boards of publicly traded companies. The assignment presents a critical evaluation of this law, considering arguments for and against quotas, drawing from the perspectives of O'Brien, Merchant, and Marks, and referencing additional academic sources. The author agrees with O'Brien and Marks, advocating for increased female representation in boards to eradicate gender inequality, inspire women, and improve employee morale. The assignment provides a comprehensive overview of the arguments surrounding gender diversity and corporate governance, highlighting the importance of affirmative action in promoting equity in the workplace. This assignment is a response to the prompt 'Should quotas for women on boards of directors (BoD) be mandated by law?'

Running head: BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 1
Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
Name
Institution

BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 2
Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
Gender equity lacks in the country because, for a very long time, males have dominated
over their female counterparts in nearly all the sectors of economy. Over the years, the Board of
Directors of many (blue chip) organizations have been reserved for or dominated by men.
As a progressive American, I would like to commend the state government of California
for enacting Gender-Diverse BOD, a new law that has introduced a quota system in the boards of
all the publicly traded companies within the state. According to this law, all companies should
have at least two female members in its board (von Meyerinck, Niessen-Ruenzi, Schmid &
Davidoff Solomon, 2018). This legislation has elicited a mixed reaction. While there is a section
of the people who support it, others oppose it. In his article, Mercahant opposes the move by
claiming that it is a bad thing to do. However, on his part, O’Brien agrees by saying that the
women are actually needed to constitute the boards. Similar position is taken by Marks who
argue that women must be empowered and given such opportunities because, unlike men, they
face so many challenges. I would like to agree with O’Brien and Mark. In my opinion, the state
government of California has done a good thing. There are many reasons why the number of
women in the boards should be increased and safeguarded. First, it can eradicate the culture of
gender inequality and shift the society towards attaining the much desired gender equity. The
change will not only create opportunities to the women, but will be inspirational to all the
women across the state (Brieger, Francoeur, Welzel & Ben-Amar, 2019). Besides, the inclusion
of women in the boards can improve the availability of women in the board boosts the morale of
employees and clients. That happens because they want to associate with female leadership.

BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 3
All these indicate that the women should be given more opportunities to join boards. It is,
indeed, a noble affirmative idea that should be emulated by all the other states in the country.

BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 4
References
Brieger, S. A., Francoeur, C., Welzel, C., & Ben-Amar, W. (2019). Empowering women: The
role of emancipative forces in board gender diversity. Journal of Business Ethics, 155(2),
495-511.
von Meyerinck, F., Niessen-Ruenzi, A., Schmid, M., & Davidoff Solomon, S. (2018). As
California goes, so goes the nation? The impact of board gender quotas on firm
performance and the director labor market. The impact of board gender quotas on firm
performance and the director labor market (December 19, 2018).