Interviews with more than 25 board and committee chairs and 20 nonchair board members found a gap in perception: chairs largely believed they led boards where diverse voices were heard and welcomed, but many nonchair members did not share that view. Men were more likely than women to say they could bring their full selves to the boardroom. The pattern matched results from a separate global survey of board directors, in which most chairs reported inclusive practice while a smaller share of directors agreed their boards were actually inclusive.
The findings were published by MIT Sloan Management Review on 19 August 2026, in an article by Jennifer Jordan and N. Anand titled “The Five Inclusive Behaviors Board Chairs Overlook.”
Source: MIT Sloan Management Review, 2026-08-19.