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The rise of corporatisation poses a new challenge for equal opportunities as women struggle to participate in corporate governance. Traditionally, the corporate model was confined to the private sector which is now strongly driven by a prevailing ideology of economic de‐regulation. A consequence of laissez faire economics is that the private sector is assuming greater responsibility for political and economic development as the state sheds power and loses its legitimacy for some functions. Market liberalism has also widened the ambit of the corporate model which is now increasingly applying to the public sector. For example, in New Zealand 56 crown companies have converted to the corporate model with compelling legislation which prioritises profitability over social responsibility (Taggart, 1993). Both private and public sector trends elevate the social and political significance of how corporates are governed and the question of women's participation in the process as directors of boards.

While the absence of female directors on corporate boards in New Zealand is controversial, little is known about the first wave of women in boardrooms in the private sector. This benchmark study, a questionnaire survey, provides the first demographic data about females in the boardrooms of the top 200 companies. The findings show that only 4.4 per cent of directors of major companies in New Zealand are female. Analyses the relevant skill base for directorship, the barriers to recruitment and male cronyism as a factor in the gender imbalance. The findings show that a high public profile is important for women wanting to open the boardroom door. Suggests that agencies which target potential directors apply conservative criteria which discriminate against the qualified but untested female candidate.

The purpose of this research is to explore the interaction between organisational affordances for the development of individuals' capability, and the engagement of workers at various levels with those opportunities.

A case study of a large New Zealand wine company, using in‐depth interviews. Interviews were held with staff at all levels working in the vineyards or winery – the two core functions of the organisation. Transcripts were analysed drawing on Billet's notion of workplace affordances, Fuller and Unwin's restrictive‐expansive continuum, and the concept of proactive personality.

Development opportunities were differentially experienced according to level in the organisational hierarchy and function, with those higher in the organisation experiencing a more expansive environment than those in lower‐level jobs. However, where individuals were proactive, a seemingly restrictive development environment was experienced as far more expansive; just as a potentially expansive environment could be experienced as restrictive by those who did not take initiative.

The conventional limitations of case study research apply. In particular, concerns over generalisability to other industries and organisational settings.

The research highlights for managers' the important role of job design and organisational characteristics that foster expansive work environments for the promotion of employee learning and development. For employees it highlights how proactive behaviour can provide opportunities for development in otherwise restrictive environments.

Previous research has identified differences in workplace affordances for development across organisations. The paper extends this work by showing that such differences are also evident within organisations and are associated with hierarchical position. Moreover, the paper integrates the notion of proactive behaviour, a construct that fits well with interactionist perspectives on workplace learning that emphasise the dual and reciprocal nature of contextual influences and individual agency.