Flattery Will Get You Everywhere (Especially If You are a Male Caucasian): How Ingratiation, Boardroom Behavior and Demographic Minority Status Affect the Likelihood of Gaining Additional Board Appointments at US Companies

This study examines how individuals succeed in the U.S. director labor market. Our theory suggests how two categories of director behavior could influence the likelihood of receiving additional appointments at corporate boards: behaviors that are believed to contribute to effective governance and social influence behavior in the form of ingratiation directed at fellow directors. We also theorize that demographic minorities derive fewer benefits from engaging in such behaviors. We test our hypotheses with original survey data on the behavior of 760 outside directors at large and medium-sized U.S. firms. We discuss implications for theory and research on corporate governance, social discrimination, and social capital.