Best practice methods in corporate governance are far more likely to be adopted if FTSE 100 companies have women on the board, according to a study by Cranfield School of Management.

Cranfield's findings are set out in its Female FTSE report, which shows a rise in female non-executive directors and in companies with more than one woman on the board. The number of directorships held by women has risen to 110, or 9.7% of the total, from 101, or 8.6%, in 2003.

Centrica and J Sainsbury jointly head the league table, with female directors accounting for a third of their boards. Next come AstraZeneca, British Airways and Pearson, owner of the Financial Times. Bottom of the league are Smiths Group and Daily Mail & General Trust, with no women on their boards.