Corporate Board Composition: A Longitudinal Comparison Across Industries

Abstract

This study analyzes corporate board characteristics across eight industries over a 20 year time frame. To assess differences, data was gathered from US firms in the years 2004, 2014, and 2024 with samples sizes  consisting of 1712, 1600, and 1191 firms, respectively. The results indicate significant differences exist in  several key characteristics among boards in each of the study years. Moreover, some key characteristics  such as female representation on boards changed significantly from 2004 to 2024. The implications of these  differences and changes are discussed.