Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • July 2020 (Revised March 2021)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Board Diversity at Amazon (A)

By: Aiyesha Dey and Anu Atluru
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:36
ShareBar

Abstract

The case revolves around the decisions that the board of directors of ecommerce giant Amazon would need to make in response to the controversial letter that activist shareholder CtW investment group sent to Amazon’s shareholders, urging them to vote in favor of a proposal aimed at increasing Amazon’s board diversity. The board had formally recommended voting against the proposal in the upcoming annual shareholder meeting. The board’s stance ignited an internal debate at Amazon, with several employees questioning the diversity of Amazon’s leadership relative to other high-profile technology companies. Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, two top advisory firms to public company shareholders, remained divided on the issue. The case presents the opportunity to discuss the importance of having a diverse board, in particular, along the dimensions of race and gender. The case is likely to generate spirited debate about the merits of diversity on corporate boards and the role that a powerful multinational company can play in promoting diversity in technology and business. More fundamentally, the case raises the issue of how organizations should measure diversity.

Keywords

Board Of Directors; Boards; Governing and Advisory Boards; Diversity; Gender; Race; United States

Citation

Dey, Aiyesha, and Anu Atluru. "Board Diversity at Amazon (A)." Harvard Business School Case 121-012, July 2020. (Revised March 2021.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Aiyesha Dey

Accounting and Management
→More Publications

Related Work

    • July 2020
    • Faculty Research

    Board Diversity at Amazon (B): The Board's Decision

    By: Aiyesha Dey and Anu Atluru
    • July 2020 (Revised March 2021)
    • Faculty Research

    Board Diversity at Amazon (A)

    By: Aiyesha Dey and Anu Atluru
    • June 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Board Diversity at Amazon

    By: Aiyesha Dey
Related Work
  • Board Diversity at Amazon (B): The Board's Decision By: Aiyesha Dey and Anu Atluru
  • Board Diversity at Amazon (A) By: Aiyesha Dey and Anu Atluru
  • Board Diversity at Amazon By: Aiyesha Dey
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College