The process of appointing people to State boards is not as transparent as it should be, according to a report by the Institute of Directors.
The report also found that the appointees often do not have the right skills for the job.
The Institute of Directors interviewed chief executives, chairpersons and directors of State boards for the report.
Almost three quarters of those surveyed believed that the process of appointment to State boards was not fair or transparent.
Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said the positions were not advertised widely enough - and most people heard about vacancies on State boards by word of mouth, or through contact with the relevant Minister.
The chief executive of the Institute, Maura Quinn, said she believed appointments to state boards should be put through the public appointments process.
Today's study also found that half of the respondents believed that their board did not have the right mix of skills within its membership. They said that more attention should be paid to filling skills gaps when making appointments.
However, over 80% of the people that sit on State boards also believed that the level of political involvement in the operation of the boards was appropriate and were satisfied that there was no undue influence from Government.
