The use of national public policies for increasing the number of women on boards: The role of actors...

The use of national public policies for increasing the number of women on boards: The role of actors and processesDr Cathrine Seierstad

School of Business and Management, Queen Mary, University of London

[email protected]

(Gillian Warner-Søderholm, Mariateresa Torchia and Morten Huse)

EQPOWEREC 2015

mailto:[email protected]

EQPOWEREQ Oslo 2015 2

Aim, Research Questions and Context

Explore and understand the process of introducing national public policies to increase the share of women on boards (WoB) looking beyond the insitutional settings by focusing on the role of actors.

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AIM

RESE

ARCH

QU

ESTI

ON

S

Who are the key actors that have been involved in the process of pushing for national public policies in different countries? What motivates the key actors? How do they work to influence?

Context Norway, England, Germany and Italy

EQPOWEREQ Oslo 2015 326.08.2015

Actors (Krooks 2007)Civil society actorsState actorsInternational and transnational actors

Norway England Germany ItalyQuota Law Law

40% (2006-2008)Voluntary(Lord Davies Report2011)

Law2014: 30 % women on supervisory boards by 2016

Law20% (2011-2012)30% (2015-)

Share of women on boards

2003: 20%2008: 43%2013: 42%

2003: 15%2008: 12%2013: 21%

2003: 10%2008: 13%2013: 21%

2003: 2%2008: 4%2013: 15%

Board system Single ‘Supervisory’ Single Executive Dual Verical Dual Horizontal

Varieties of Capitalism

Coordinated Market economies

Liberal Market economies



Law system Civil Common Civil CivilTradition of using quotas

Long history in politics (voluntary) and public sector.

Little use of quotas, apart from in two political parties (voluntary).

Little use of quotas, apart from politics (voluntary).

Little use of quotas, apart from in one political party (voluntary).

Welfare tradition (E-A)

Social democratic Liberal Conservative Conservative

Equality ranking (2013)

3 18 14 71

Women’s right to vote

1913 1918/1928 1918 1946

Female rep. in Parliament (2012)

40% 23% 33% 21%

Female PM/president

Yes Yes Yes No


Key Actors at different Levels: NORWAY

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Civil Society Actors

Individual Women PoliticiansIndividual Cabinet Members (menand women)Individual Civil ServantsSenior WoB ResearchersWomen’s NetworksWomen Directors/ManagersMale Directors/Managers

International and Transnational Actors

Swedish Business and PublicDebates

State Actors

Political LeadersPolitical PartiesCivil ServantsState Agencies

Business/ Corporate Actors

Organisations of Board-readyWomenBusiness Associations–NHO–Innovation NorwayEmployers’ AssociationsAssociations of DirectorsConsultants/Headhunters


Key Actors at different Levels: England

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Individual Women PoliticiansEx-Politicians (men and women)Individual Civil ServantsSenior WoB ResearchersWomen Directors/ManagersTrade UnionsWomen Business/ProfessionalNetworksIndividual Business LeadersMedia: Individual Journalists


EU/International Political PressureThe Norwegian ExperienceInternational Research/ ResearchersInternational Consultants/ AssociationsInternational women’s network

State Actors

Political Leaders(invisible hands)Lord Davies Report


Employers’ AssociationsAssociations of DirectorsWoB Associations30 % ClubIndividual Businesses/CorporationsBig Auditing/Consultancy Firms


Key Actors at different Levels: Germany

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Individual Women PoliticiansSenior WoB ResearchersSociologistsWomen Directors/ManagersTrade UnionsInterest Groups (e.g. womenlawyers)Trade Unions’ FoundationsMedia: Individual Journalists


EU/International Political PressureThe Norwegian ExperienceInternational Research/ ResearchersInternational women’s network

State Actors

Political PartiesCivil Servants


WoB AssociationsWomen Business/ProfessionalNetworksIndividual Businesses/CorporationsGerman Subsidiaries of MNCGerman CG Codex


Key Actors at different Levels: Italy

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Individual Women PoliticiansIndividual Women AcademicsIndividual Women in BusinessResearchersWomen’s NetworksFoundationsInterest Groups/AssociationsMedia: Individual Journalists


The Norwegian ExperienceInternational Research/ResearchersInternational Consultants/Associations

State Actors


Board-ready WomenBusiness NetworksCooperative MovementsBoard Governance ConsultancyCompanies


Key actors and key motivations - Sample

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Norway England

Majority of key actors involved were proactive being motivated by a wide range of factors, including both justice and business case line of arguments

Started with women mobilizing Egalitarian history and history of

using quotas

Majority of actors started their involvement relatively late. Some of these seems to be highly motivated by being part of the political power game. State actor ‘the invisible hand’

Business case International pressure Little support of quotas


Key actors and key motivations - Sample

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Germany Italy

Majority of actors started their involvement late. Some are motivated by international pressure and the desire not to be dictated by the EU. Increasing motivation based on justice rationales among some actors

International pressure Political power play

Important (groups of) actors are elites often motivated by being part of the political power game or motivated by individual gains

Opportunistic academics, politicians and business women

Fast process with few actors


Stories of national public policy initiatives

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Norway England Germany ItalyQuotas are consistent with existing or emerging notions of equality and representation

X

Women mobilize for quotas to increase women’s representation

X X (X)

Elites (political, academic, business) recognise strategic advantages for pursuing quotas

X

Quotas are supported by international norms and spreading through transnational sharing

X X X

Proactive / Reactive Proactive Reactive Reactive Proactive

Political actors

Political Support

Political Parties

Broad

Political leaders (invisible hand)

Fragmented

Political Parties

Increasing

Individual Politicians

Limited


Poltical Support and key motivation among actors

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Self- Interest Business Utility Societal Utility

Individual/ Fragmented Political support

Italy

England

Germany

Broad/ General Political Support

Norway


Seierstad, C., Warner-Søderholm, G., Torchia, M. Huse, M. (forthcoming). Increasing the Number of Women on Boards: The Role of Actors and Processes. Journal of Business Ethics.

The use of national public policies for increasing the number of women on boards: The role of actors...

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