Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Old boy

"Old boy" is a term originating in British English, chiefly denoting a male alumnus of a public school—a private, fee-paying institution offering secondary education to boys, emphasizing tradition, discipline, and elite networks.^[1]^[2] The phrase also functions as an informal term of address for an elderly man or a longstanding male friend, evoking familiarity and camaraderie among men of similar backgrounds.^[3] The concept gained prominence through the "old boy network," an informal mechanism by which these alumni exchange favors, job opportunities, and social influence, often within spheres like government, finance, and corporate leadership.^[4] This system traces its roots to the 19th century, when public schools such as Eton and Harrow fostered lifelong bonds that extended into professional life, enabling preferment among those sharing elite educational pedigrees.^[5] While facilitating efficient recruitment through trusted connections, the old boy network has drawn scrutiny for reinforcing class divisions and limiting access to power for those outside such circles, as it prioritizes relational capital over merit in certain institutional contexts.^[5] Its persistence underscores broader patterns of social capital in British society, where shared institutional experiences continue to shape elite mobility despite modern efforts toward inclusivity.^[4]

Definition and etymology

Primary meaning

The term "old boy" denotes a male alumnus of a boys-only educational institution, particularly in British English where it applies to former pupils of independent schools historically restricted to boys, such as the elite public schools Eton College and Harrow School.^[1] This usage emphasizes the enduring connection between the individual and the institution, often formalized through alumni designations like "Old Etonian" for Eton graduates or "Old Harrovian" for those of Harrow. Such terms reflect a tradition of single-sex education prevalent in Britain until the late 20th century, when many schools began admitting girls, though the "old boy" label persists for pre-coeducation male graduates.^[6] In practice, "old boy" serves as an affectionate or formal mode of address among alumni, extending to greetings in social or professional contexts, such as "Hello, old boy" among peers from the same school. It is distinct from the American English "good old boy," which typically describes a white Southern male characterized by unpretentious camaraderie, conservative views, and informal regional networks often implying favoritism or insularity, rather than ties rooted in shared educational experience.^[7] ^[8] The concept remains predominantly associated with British institutions, with limited direct adoption outside the UK and former British colonies, where analogous alumni terms exist but lack the same cultural specificity.^[9] Alumni associations of major public schools maintain registries of old boys numbering in the thousands per institution—for instance, Eton College's network supports ongoing engagement among its former pupils—facilitating identification and connection on a global scale through historical ties to the British Empire.^[10]

Historical origins

The term "old boy" originated in mid-19th-century Britain as a designation for male alumni of elite public schools, particularly all-male boarding institutions that cultivated enduring personal bonds through shared hardships and discipline. Its emergence aligned with Victorian ideals of character formation via adversity, as these schools emphasized stoicism, self-reliance, and moral rigor to prepare boys for leadership roles.^[11] Early attestations appear in school-related writings from the 1850s onward, including periodicals and alumni correspondence that highlighted lifelong affiliations.^[12] A pivotal literary reference is Thomas Hughes's Tom Brown's School Days (1857), published pseudonymously "by an Old Boy of Rugby," which portrayed Rugby School's environment and its graduates as exemplars of muscular Christianity—a blend of physical toughness, ethical fortitude, and Protestant duty.^[13] The narrative drew from Hughes's own experiences under headmaster Thomas Arnold, underscoring how such schooling instilled traits valued in an era of expanding empire, where reliability among known peers was paramount in uncertain colonial outposts.^[14] Subsequent public school reforms, prompted by the Clarendon Commission's inquiry (1861–1864) into nine leading institutions, further entrenched the "old boy" identity by standardizing governance and curricula, as outlined in the ensuing Public Schools Act of 1868.^[15] This process elevated the schools' prestige, formalizing alumni roles in sustaining institutional legacies through patronage and advocacy, amid a broader cultural shift toward viewing public school graduates as a reliable cadre for military and administrative service.^[16]

Educational context

In British public schools

In British public schools, which are fee-paying independent boarding institutions historically oriented toward boys, the designation "old boy" applies to alumni upon leaving the school, marking the inception of lifelong institutional affiliation. These schools, such as Eton College founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, institutionalize this status through dedicated alumni organizations that foster ongoing connections and support for the institution.^[17] The Old Etonian Association, established in 1897, exemplifies this by organizing events to maintain alumni ties and aid the school, including mentorship programs and philanthropic initiatives.^[18] Similarly, Winchester College, founded in 1382, sustains old boy engagement via the Winchester College Society, which coordinates over 100 annual events worldwide for former pupils, known as Old Wykehamists, encompassing reunions, dinners, and sports fixtures to reinforce communal bonds.^[19] These practices extend across major public schools, where annual gatherings, such as formal dinners and matches like the Eton-Harrow cricket game, perpetuate socialization initiated during schooling. Admission to these institutions typically involves rigorous entrance exams and interviews, selecting pupils for intellectual aptitude and personal resilience, traits empirically linked to later elite attainment.^[20] Data indicate that alumni from leading public schools, comprising about 7% of the pupil population, disproportionately secure places at Oxford and Cambridge universities; for instance, pupils from just eight such schools accounted for 1,310 Oxbridge admissions over three years ending 2017, exceeding those from 2,900 other schools combined.^[21] Over a dozen prominent UK public schools maintain formal old boy associations, channeling alumni involvement into institutional philanthropy, including scholarships that enhance access for select candidates.^[20] This structure embeds old boy status as a sustained identity, distinct from broader networking, focused on school-specific loyalty and continuity.

Extensions to universities and other institutions

In Oxford colleges, alumni are commonly designated as "Old Members," a term reflecting the extension of schoolboy traditions into higher education, where these networks facilitate ongoing connections among graduates.^[22] For instance, institutions like New College and Jesus College maintain dedicated portals and events for Old Members, emphasizing alumni engagement post-graduation.^[23] Similarly, at Cambridge, intellectual societies such as the Apostles—established in 1820 as the Cambridge Conversazione Society—have drawn from undergraduate cohorts, producing networks of influential figures including economist John Maynard Keynes, who joined in 1901.^[24] Pupils from British public schools, termed old boys upon leaving, disproportionately progress to elite universities; data from the Sutton Trust indicate that individuals from fee-paying schools are over five times more likely to attend prestigious institutions like Oxbridge compared to the general population, with private school attendance rates at such universities remaining around 40-50% despite comprising only 7% of pupils overall.^[25] The concept adapts internationally with variants tied to elite secondary schools feeding into higher education. In Australia, old boys' associations at grammar schools, such as Brisbane Grammar School's (active since the early 20th century), extend to university alumni fostering similar bonds.^[26] Canadian institutions like St. Andrew's College employ "Old Boys" for former pupils, supporting networks that parallel UK models through mentorship and events.^[27] In the United States, Ivy League universities maintain robust alumni associations—such as the Ivy Alumni network uniting graduates across schools—serving analogous functions to old boy systems, though without the precise terminology and with broader formal structures.^[28] Beyond academia, the old boy framework extends to military and professional bodies. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, drawing heavily from public school graduates, cultivates alumni ties that echo school networks, with officer cohorts often forming lifelong professional links.^[29] Gentlemens' clubs like the Athenaeum, founded in 1824 for scholars and professionals, have historically attracted members from Oxbridge and public school backgrounds, providing venues for such extensions into civilian careers.^[30]

Old boy networks

Formation and mechanisms

Bonds in old boy networks originate from prolonged shared experiences in British public schools, where institutional rituals and activities cultivate enduring loyalty and implicit cultural codes among alumni. The fagging system, a longstanding practice requiring younger pupils to perform menial tasks for older ones, enforces hierarchical deference and reciprocal obligations that extend beyond school years, embedding a sense of mutual indebtedness.^[31] Similarly, mandatory participation in team sports, promoted vigorously from the Victorian period onward, demands collective endurance and coordination, forging trust through repeated interpersonal reliance under pressure.^[32] These dynamics align with principles of cooperation under adversity, where shared challenges signal credible commitment and incentivize reliability in future interactions, as modeled in game-theoretic analyses of heterogeneous pairs facing heightened costs of defection.^[33] Unlike contrived alliances, such bonds emerge organically from assortative clustering of high-achieving individuals who, due to similar backgrounds and capabilities, preferentially connect and collaborate, perpetuating the network without centralized orchestration. Longitudinal tracking of elite entrants reveals this pattern, with alumni from top public schools being 94 times more likely to reach UK power positions than state school peers, reflecting natural affinity over deliberate exclusion.^[10] Operationally, networks function through discreet endorsements and referrals, prioritizing personal vetting over public solicitations; recruiter surveys from the 2010s onward show that 39% of UK job placements occur via professional contacts, with elite roles exhibiting even greater dependence on such ties due to the opacity of high-level opportunities.^[34] This informal vetting leverages pre-established signals of competence and alignment, enabling rapid trust-based decisions in environments where formal credentials alone prove insufficient.^[35]

Prominent examples in politics and business

In British politics, old boy networks have manifested through the overrepresentation of alumni from elite public schools in leadership roles, particularly within the Conservative Party. Twenty of the United Kingdom's 55 prime ministers were educated at Eton College, including Boris Johnson, who attended from the late 1970s to early 1980s, and David Cameron, who was there in the 1980s.^[36]^[37]^[37] Conservative Party cabinets post-World War II have drawn heavily from such backgrounds, with 65% of Boris Johnson's 2020 cabinet having attended independent schools, compared to 41% of Tory MPs overall.^[38] Earlier examples include 62% of the 2010 coalition cabinet ministers from independent schools.^[39] In business, particularly the City of London financial sector, old boys from public schools have held disproportionate sway in executive positions. Analysis of FTSE 100 companies shows that, among those educated in the UK, 37% of chief executive officers and 68% of chairs attended private schools as of 2025 data.^[25] This pattern reflects historical networks, as evidenced by a 1992 survey of senior partners and chief executives at top City firms, where 10 had attended Eton and 9 Winchester College. Such affiliations have facilitated influence in banking and investment, with alumni ties from schools like Harrow and Winchester aiding advancement in merchant banking and boardrooms.^[40]

Advantages and empirical benefits

Old boy networks facilitate efficient recruitment by leveraging pre-existing trust and shared cultural understanding, which reduces information asymmetries and transaction costs in hiring. Economic analyses indicate that hires through personal networks, akin to old boy mechanisms, often result in superior job matches, with workers receiving higher initial salaries due to better alignment of skills and organizational needs. ^[41] Empirical evidence from labor market studies further demonstrates that referred candidates exhibit higher productivity and retention rates compared to those sourced via open recruitment, as networks provide vetted endorsements that mitigate hiring risks. ^[42] These networks promote organizational stability through longstanding relationships that enable coordinated long-term planning and risk-sharing among members with comparable elite educations. In high-trust environments, such as those prevalent in British institutions, old boy persistence correlates with sustained elite performance, as shared backgrounds foster reliable cooperation without extensive formal verification. Contrary to claims of pervasive exclusionary bias, analyses in fields like science reveal minimal distorting effects from such networks, suggesting their benefits—such as accelerated knowledge diffusion—outweigh hypothesized drawbacks in meritocratic domains. ^[43] Overall, these dynamics yield tangible outcomes, including enhanced firm growth linked to network-based hiring practices.

Criticisms and empirical limitations

Critics of old boy networks argue that they perpetuate exclusionary practices, particularly along gender and racial lines, by favoring informal ties among alumni of elite institutions over broader merit-based selection. Analysis of biographical data from Who's Who spanning 1897 to 2016 reveals that graduates of top British private schools remain 94 times more likely to attain elite positions in politics, business, and media compared to state school attendees, indicating sustained barriers to social mobility for those outside these networks.^[44] This persistence is attributed to mechanisms like preferential hiring and promotions within closed circles, often described as nepotism that prioritizes affinity over qualifications.^[20] A key empirical critique focuses on gender disparities, with research showing that male-dominated managerial networks hinder women's advancement. A 2021 study of over 30,000 workplace transitions in a large firm found that female employees experienced slower promotion rates and lower performance ratings under male managers compared to female ones, supporting the "old boys' club" hypothesis where informal schmoozing and social interactions disproportionately benefit men.^[45]^[46] Similar patterns emerge in executive remuneration, where women's social networks yield weaker returns on career outcomes than men's, exacerbating pay gaps and limiting access to top roles.^[47] However, empirical evidence on the networks' exclusionary power reveals limitations and mixed causal effects, challenging claims of uniform nepotism. In scientific fields, a 2020 reanalysis of citation and collaboration data refuted assertions of a robust "old boy network," finding no systematic bias in male homophily for high-impact outcomes after controlling for productivity and institutional factors.^[48] Broader studies indicate that while private school ties confer advantages, these partly stem from acquired skills and signaling rather than pure cronyism, with formal hiring processes in elite professions reducing overt nepotistic recruitment over time.^[49] Post-2010 diversity initiatives in the UK, including voluntary targets for FTSE 350 boards, have boosted female representation from around 10% in 2011 to over 40% by 2023 without consistent evidence of performance declines, suggesting networks adapt to external pressures rather than rigidly excluding outsiders.^[50]^[51] Examinations of firm-level data show that increased gender diversity correlates with neutral or modestly positive financial metrics in some cases, implying that exclusionary effects may be overstated relative to merit-driven selection in competitive environments.^[51] These findings highlight that while networks limit access, their impact is moderated by institutional reforms and individual capabilities, not solely insular favoritism.

Cultural and modern perceptions

Representations in media and literature

In Rudyard Kipling's Stalky & Co. (1899), public school boys are depicted as resourceful and camaraderie-driven future officers destined for imperial service, drawing from Kipling's experiences at United Services College and portraying the institution as a forge for British manhood and empire-building prowess.^[52]^[53] This positive framing emphasizes discipline, pranks, and loyalty among "old boys" as essential to national strength, reflecting early 20th-century ideals of elite education producing reliable administrators.^[54] Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall (1928) offers a contrasting satirical lens, lampooning the privileges and hypocrisies of upper-class life intertwined with public school and Oxbridge networks, where characters embody futile snobbery and moral decay amid social rituals.^[55]^[56] The novel critiques the old boy archetype as effete and self-serving, using black humor to expose class insularity without redeeming its subjects.^[57] William Trevor's The Old Boys (1964) extends this satire to alumni dynamics, portraying septuagenarian former pupils of a fictional public school as petty rivals in an election for their association's presidency, reviving boyhood grudges with absurd malice.^[58]^[59] The work highlights enduring tribalism in old boy networks, adapted for stage, radio, and television to underscore humorous yet corrosive persistence of school loyalties into senescence.^[60]^[61] In film, Chariots of Fire (1981) illustrates rivalries within elite university milieus linked to public school pedigrees, depicting Cambridge and Oxford athletes navigating class tensions and personal convictions en route to the 1924 Olympics, with old boy affiliations subtly underscoring institutional hierarchies.^[62] Broader tropes in British novels from 1900 to 1950 often bifurcate old boys into stalwart imperial guardians versus decadent idlers, as seen in adventure fiction emphasizing manliness and duty against interwar disillusionment.^[63]^[64]

Recent developments and persistence

In the 2020s, empirical data indicates the persistence of old boy networks in British elite positions despite pressures for greater diversity. A 2025 analysis found that privately educated individuals, who comprise about 7% of the UK population, continue to hold a disproportionate share of influential roles, including nearly a quarter of Members of Parliament (23% in the 2024 Parliament, the lowest recorded but still elevated), half of the House of Lords, and half of newspaper columnists.^[65] Among Conservative MPs, the figure rises to 46%, underscoring partisan continuity in network leverage.^[66] These patterns align with longitudinal studies showing that alumni from elite public schools maintain elevated access to power, with no evidence of systemic collapse; for instance, a 2017 LSE analysis of 120 years of biographical data in Who's Who revealed that top public school attendees were 94 times more likely to reach elite status, a dynamic that has attenuated but not vanished amid broader enrollment shifts. Adaptations to modern challenges, including post-#MeToo scrutiny and diversity mandates, have led to hybridized networks incorporating women and non-traditional members, yet core informal ties rooted in shared educational backgrounds endure. Research from 2020 highlighted that "old boys' clubs" persist in influencing promotions through familiarity-based buddying, disproportionately benefiting men while women face barriers in equivalent access.^[67] In Australia, critiques in the early 2020s emphasized the economic costs of unapologetic old boy dominance in leadership, yet acknowledged their utility in politics and business, with no widespread dismantling observed.^[68] Verifiable shifts include a decline in all-male public schools—only six traditional boys-only institutions remained by 2023 amid a rush to co-education—but cultural capital from these environments continues to facilitate elite reproduction, countering narratives of rapid erosion.^[69] Emerging trends like remote work and AI tools show potential to reinforce rather than dismantle informal networks by enabling sustained digital connections among alumni, though direct causal data remains limited as of 2025. Surveys indicate hybrid models enhance productivity without severing relational ties, allowing geographically dispersed old boys to maintain influence through virtual platforms.^[70] Overall, 2021–2025 board and parliamentary composition statistics reveal no precipitous decline, with private school alumni retaining overrepresentation in FTSE-linked elites, affirming the networks' resilience against diversity-driven reforms.^[71]

References

[1]
OLD BOY definition in American English - Collins Dictionary
old boy in British English. noun. 1. (sometimes capitals) British. a male ex-pupil of a school. 2. informal, mainly British. a. a familiar name used to refer to ...
[2]
old boy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes
old boy · . old boy. /ˈəʊld bɔɪ/. /ˈəʊld bɔɪ/. (British English) a man who used to be a student at a particular school, usually a private one · . old boy. / ...
[3]
OLD BOY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
an old man: the old boy next door [ as form of address ] mainly UK old-fashioned a way that some men address male friends that they have known for many years.
[4]
Meaning of the old-boy network in English - Cambridge Dictionary
the informal system in which men who went to the same school or university help each other to find good jobs or get other social advantages:.
[5]
'old boy network': meaning and origin - word histories
Jun 8, 2024 · 'old boy network': meaning and origin. In British English, the expression old boy has been used to designate: – a male former pupil of a ...<|separator|>
[6]
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/old-boy
[7]
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/good-old-boy
[8]
"Old Boy" vs. "Good Old Boy" - Ask Andy About Clothes
Jun 1, 2006 · A Good Old Boy is a certain type of Southerner. An Old Boy can be Northern or Southern, and is either an alumnus or a longtime acquaintance or ...Missing: distinction | Show results with:distinction
[9]
https://onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml?s=old%20boy&senseid=52811375
[10]
Who's Who study sheds new light on power of old boy network
Oct 30, 2017 · Analysis of 120 years of data in Who's Who shows those who went to top public schools are 94 times more likely to be in UK's 'elite'.
[11]
"Boys Who Will Be Men": Desire in "Tom Brown's Schooldays" - jstor
How could an "old boy" fit his memories of the intense boyish friendships that. Benjamin Disraeli called "earthquakes of the heart, and whirlwinds of the ...
[12]
[PDF] The Birth of the Public School Ideal in Mid-Nineteenth Century
Writing of his time at. Westminster school in the 1810s, one old boy claimed: "The boys fought one another, they fought the masters, the masters fought them ...Missing: context | Show results with:context<|separator|>
[13]
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tom Brown at Rugby, by Thomas ...
Classics for Children. Tom Brown at Rugby. BY AN OLD BOY (Thomas Hughes). EDITED BY CLARA WEAVER ROBINSON. BOSTON, U.S.A.. GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.
[14]
[PDF] Tom Brown's schooldays: 'sportsex' in Victorian Britain
... Old Boy' author of 'Football' boldly states 'all my readers have of course read “Tom Brown's Schooldays”. If they have not, I advise them to do so at once ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[15]
Clarendon Report (1864) - background notes - Education in the UK
Nov 27, 2018 · The presence of these local boys 'lowered the social tone of a school aspiring to attract the upper classes' (Simon 1974:313), and various ...
[16]
[PDF] The Reform of the British Public Schools - C.E. McKenna
Apr 28, 2008 · By 1890 the group of public schools was agreed upon enough that a group of three old boys from the Clarendon Schools compiled them! But it ...
[17]
Our History - Eton College
Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as “Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore”.
[18]
Old Etonian Association - Eton College
The OEA was founded in 1897 to keep Old Etonians in touch with one another ... Term Dates · Employment Opportunities · Policies and Reports · Privacy Policy ...Missing: establishment | Show results with:establishment
[19]
Winchester College Society: Home
Winchester College Society organises over 100 events in Winchester and throughout the world for all members of its community.Goddard Legacy Society · Login · News & Archives · Support Us
[20]
The dogged persistence of the British 'old boy': how private school ...
Oct 31, 2017 · The mythical figure of the public-school 'Old Boy' has long had a hold on the British cultural imagination. But, as Aaron Reeves and Sam ...Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[21]
Oxbridge 'over-recruits from eight schools' - BBC
Dec 7, 2018 · The Sutton Trust says pupils from eight schools filled 1,310 Oxbridge places over three years, compared with 1,220 from 2,900 other schools.
[22]
Old Members and Friends | New College Oxford
Old Members and Friends. Welcome to the web pages for our Old Members. We very much value our ongoing relationship with Old Members of the College.
[23]
Notable Old Members – Jesus College - University of Oxford
Amongst our Old Members are heads of state, Nobel Prize winners, internationally renowned authors and ground-breaking scientists.
[24]
The Cambridge Apostles, 1820–1914
A full-scale study of the world's most famous intellectual 'secret society' up to World War I · Traces the career of many eminent Victorians and Edwardians, ...
[25]
Elitist Britain 2025 - The Sutton Trust
Sep 18, 2025 · Elites are over five times more likely to have attended a fee-paying school than the general population. Attendance at prestigious universities ...
[26]
Old Boys Association - Brisbane Grammar School
The BGSOBA is led by a dedicated committee which exists to offer guidance and leadership to Old Boys and maintain and promote the School's values and heritage ...
[27]
Old Boys - St. Andrew's College
Old Boys and past parents are encouraged to sign up for SAC Connect, a networking platform that is free to join and offers opportunities to mentor and be ...
[28]
Alumni of the Ivy League
The purpose of the network is to enhance the effectiveness of networking of Ivy League alumni in order to provide tangible benefit to the alumni community.Missing: old | Show results with:old
[29]
Sandhurst – Boarding school with rifles? - Wavell Room
Sep 10, 2018 · Sandhurst is like a boarding school with rifles – you have dorms, you share, you go to mess, you eat in hall and there are big, fancy dinners and that kind of ...<|separator|>
[30]
Our History - The Athenaeum
At the first meeting of the Club, on 16 February 1824, the membership limit was set at 400. This was steadily increased and, by December 1824, was set at 1,000.Missing: boys | Show results with:boys
[31]
Fagging - The Wellington Community
Fagging – the allocation of various menial duties to younger students by older ones – was universal at Wellington, as at most other similar schools, during the ...
[32]
The Public Schools' Cult of Sport in Victorian Times
Oct 1, 2023 · Constant physical activity, it was thought, would exhaust young men and reduce the likelihood of self-abuse while it also had the advantage of ...
[33]
Adversity and cooperation in heterogeneous pairs | Scientific Reports
Jul 15, 2019 · This paper provides a game-theoretic model of the effect of higher adversity on the evolution of cooperation.Model · Results · MethodsMissing: hardship reliability<|control11|><|separator|>
[34]
Networking statistics in 2025 | UK and global data - StandOut CV
Aug 11, 2025 · 39% of UK workers found their job through their network. 8 in 10 professionals believe that networking is essential for career success.
[35]
(PDF) The Causal Effect of Social Networks on Elite Recruitment
Aug 6, 2025 · We provide evidence on how social networks affected recruitment into an elite labor market, that is, the bureaucracy of imperial China.Missing: UK | Show results with:UK
[36]
The school that rules Britain - BBC
Apr 13, 2021 · Is it because Eton is the crucible for generations of political leaders, with 20 of Britain's 55 prime ministers educated there, including the ...
[37]
10 Famous Eton College Alumni | Dukes Plus
Apr 25, 2025 · Johnson attended Eton College in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where he was a King's Scholar and known for his lively personality in debating ...<|separator|>
[38]
65% of Boris Johnson's new cabinet attended independent schools
Feb 13, 2020 · In the Conservative party, two-fifths (41%) of MPs attended an independent school, compared to 14% in the Labour party. Sir Peter Lampl, founder ...
[39]
[PDF] The Educational Backgrounds of Government Ministers in 2010
Just over six in ten (62%) of Ministers attending Cabinet, and six in ten (60%). Ministers went to independent schools, which educate just 7% of the school.Missing: percentage WWII
[40]
Old Boy Network (United Kingdom) - - Global Informality Project
Jul 26, 2019 · It refers to the informal system of connections and social capital that benefit certain members of society – especially those that have passed through the ...
[41]
The Effect of Old Boy Networks on Job Match Quality, Earnings, and ...
We show that workers hired through the old boy network should (1) earn higher initial salaries, (2) experience lower subsequent wage growth on the job, and (3) ...
[42]
Connections, Referrals, and Hiring Outcomes: Evidence from an ...
Existing research shows that referred workers often exhibit higher productivity than other new hires [36], [40].
[43]
(PDF) The data do not support the existence of an 'Old Boy network ...
Aug 6, 2025 · The data do not support the existence of an 'Old Boy network' in science. Some critical comments on a study by Massen et al. Springer Nature.
[44]
Private Schools and Elite Recruitment 1897 to 2016 - Sage Journals
Oct 29, 2017 · Our analysis not only points to the dogged persistence of the “old boy,” but also underlines the theoretical importance of reviving and refining ...
[45]
New Research Finds The 'Old Boys Club' At Work Is Real ... - Forbes
Apr 22, 2021 · New Research Finds The 'Old Boys Club' At Work Is Real—And Contributing To The Gender Pay Gap · Why are men being promoted at greater rates? · Why ...
[46]
[PDF] The Old Boys' Club: Schmoozing and the Gender Gap
A growing literature has investigated what causes women to lag behind men in the corpo- rate world. According to the “old boys' club” hypothesis, this gap ...
[47]
are the professional networks of female executives less effective ...
Feb 15, 2022 · The old boy network: are the professional networks of female executives less effective than men's for advancing their careers?
[48]
The data do not support the existence of an 'Old Boy network' in ...
Aug 14, 2020 · The data do not support the existence of an 'Old Boy network' in science. Some critical comments on a study by Massen et al. Freek Van de ...Missing: strong | Show results with:strong
[49]
[PDF] The decline and persistence of the old boy: private schools and elite ...
Sep 26, 2017 · Even today, alumni of the nine Clarendon schools are about 94 times more likely to reach the British elite than are individuals who at- tended ...
[50]
[PDF] review-research-literature-evidence-impact-diversity-inclusion ...
The. Hampton Alexander Review also highlighted the weakness in gender diversity at the very top of FTSE100 companies, with only eight out of a possible 98 roles ...Missing: boys | Show results with:boys
[51]
Board gender diversity and firm performance: The UK evidence
Jul 19, 2020 · This article examines the relationship between gender diversity, selected female attributes, and financial performance of FTSE 100 firms in the UK.
[52]
Stalky & Co. - The Kipling Society
Rudyard Kipling went to the United Services College at Westward Ho!, near Bideford, North Devon, as a small capering twelve-year old in January 1878, ...
[53]
Stalky and Co. by Rudyard Kipling – an Officer, a Gentleman, and a ...
Jul 23, 2023 · Stalky and Co. by Rudyard Kipling, is a collection of stories set at a public school, preparing boys for either British military officer training, or imperial ...
[54]
An English School - Land & Sea Tales - Rudyard Kipling, Book, etext
Our School was created for the sons of officers in the Army and Navy, and filled with boys who meant to follow their father's calling.
[55]
Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh | JacquiWine's Journal
May 16, 2017 · First published in the late 1920s, Decline and Fall was Waugh's debut novel, a cutting satire which took as its target Britain's class-conscious ...
[56]
Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh - Book Snob
Apr 14, 2013 · Decline and Fall is absurd, hilarious, and utterly brilliant in its astute satire of 1920s high society. The plot is fast paced, totally ...
[57]
Decline and Fall - Hooray For Dead White Males
May 6, 2019 · In which I read Decline and Fall, Evelyn Waugh's 1928 satire about the debauched middle-classes, centring around a sports day at a boy's ...
[58]
The Old Boys by William Trevor #williamtrevor2023 - 746 Books
Jan 6, 2023 · Overall, The Old Boys is a darkly humorous, tightly structured and thought-provoking piece of work and a great start to my year reading the work ...
[59]
The Old Boys by William Trevor | JacquiWine's Journal
Feb 26, 2019 · The Old Boys is another excellent novel by William Trevor, sharing many similarities with The Boarding-House. Much of the book is written in ...
[60]
The Old Boys | William TREVOR - Between the Covers
In stock 10-day returnsThe Old Boys. (London): Davis-Poynter, (1971). Price: $30.00. Softcover. First ... Trevor adapted his own novel for the play version. Item #516473. ISBN ...
[61]
The Old Boys & other stories: Eleven Full-Cast BBC Radio ...
The Old Boys & other stories: Eleven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations audiobook written by William Trevor. Narrated by Frances Jeater, Mary Wimbush, ...<|separator|>
[62]
Chariots of Fire (1981) - IMDb
Rating 7.1/10 (69,839) Chariots of Fire ... Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, are driven to win in the 1924 Olympics as they wrestle ...Full cast & crew · Plot · Trivia · Les Chariots de feuMissing: boy | Show results with:boy
[63]
How Did Imperialism Permeate Boys' Adventure Fiction ... - History Hit
Oct 22, 2020 · The themes inherent within boys' adventure fiction, interlinked and symbolic of British imperialism, were all encompassed by an overriding sense ...
[64]
Imperialism and manliness in Edwardian Boys' Novels - jstor
From 1898 to 1912 American juveniles taught that,as Britain declined, America was shifting from the junior to the senior partner in the Anglo-Saxon compact.
[65]
Privately educated still have 'vice-like grip' on most powerful UK jobs
Sep 17, 2025 · In business, of the FTSE 100 chief executives who were educated in the UK, 37% attended private school, while this was true of 68% of their ...
[66]
Parliamentary Privilege 2024 - The Sutton Trust
Jul 5, 2024 · 63% of MPs were educated in comprehensives, with 23% educated privately, and 12% in selective schools. 15% of Labour MPs and 46% of Conservative ...
[67]
Is the old boys club still alive in the #MeToo era? - HRD America
Feb 24, 2020 · Buddying up with the boss still influences the career progression of men and women differently. Often, women are at the losing end, new research suggests.
[68]
An unapologetic Old Boys' network is costing Australia billions
Oct 1, 2021 · SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG) - It's the Australian Paradox. In terms of women's educational attainment, no country does better, according to the World ...Missing: 2020s | Show results with:2020s<|separator|>
[69]
Are boys' schools a thing of the past? - The Spectator
Jun 12, 2023 · This recent headlong rush to co-education is now so pronounced that only six traditional boys' public schools survive: St Paul's itself, Radley, ...
[70]
AI at Work 2025: Momentum Builds, but Gaps Remain | BCG
Jun 26, 2025 · Employees at organizations undergoing comprehensive AI-driven redesign are more worried about job security (46%) than those at less-advanced ...
[71]
[PDF] Elitist-Britain-2019-Summary-Report.pdf - The Sutton Trust
→ More significant is in the decline of grammar school alumni among the elite, at 20%, and ... attending the two universities, and over. 70% not attending ...