Board Size and Potential Corporate and Director Interlocks in Australasia 1984-1993

This paper examines all New Zealand listed public companies in the years 1987, 1990 and 1993 to highlight changes over time in interlocking directorates. Potential company and individual director interlocks, as well as average board size, are found to have decreased since 1984. This points to a marked reversal of the trends identified in Firth (1987). The prevalence of interlocks in New Zealand appears no greater than in Australia and may fall with the implementation of the Companies Act 1993.