Morten HuseVicariate of Rome, Ministry of Education and

LUMSABorgo Sant Angelo, Rome, 16. April 2012

Morten Huse Professor of Organisation and Management, BI Norwegian

Business School, Oslo and Tor Vergata University, Rome President European Academy of Management Catalyst Europe Advisory Board Member

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Enhancing the role of women at the top of the business is crucial at this moment

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Societal case arguments◦ Justice◦ Democracy◦ Participation◦ Gender equality◦ Conventions

UN Human Rights EU/EEA

Individual case arguments◦ Individual

development/career◦ Glass ceiling arguments

Business case arguments◦ Diversity

Women different than men◦ Larger knowledge base

More than 50% of the population are women

Use of knowledge in a small society

◦ Customer knowledge Women are the main

customers in several sectors◦ Men are often too passive

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The Norwegian Story

NORWAY – ONE OF THE MOST PROGRESSIVE COUNTRIES

Norway is considered one of the most progressive countries with regards to increasing the number of women on boards – thanks to it being an early adopter of legislation to force companies to recruit women to the boardroom.

Elizabeth Harrin (Financial Times, London)

FEMINISTS: BOLDEST MOVE ANYWHERE To many feminists, this is the boldest move

anywhere to breach one of the most durable barriers to gender equality

The Female Factor

Women in the boardroom The wrong way to

promote women Mandatory quotas do

more harm than good. But firms should make work more family-friendly

July 19th 2011

•Ruin the Norwegian Economy•There are not enough qualified women

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40%

20%

10%

5%

1990 20081996 2002

Seminars

Saving banks on the stock exchange

Mentorship programs

Women networks

Law proposal hearings

25% 40%

Law proposed

Deadline for law

Law ratified

Law sanctions enforced

Data banks and registers

Arguments

Research

Percentage of women on boards in listed/publicly tradeable companies in Norway

Formal education

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The parents

The birthhelpers

The women

Multi-board directors 2000

Multi-board directors 2010

Women No women Independent

Mostly Professional Independent (including the “Golden Skirts”)

Men “Old boys network” Investors

Mostly “Gold Sacks” Investors (Women have replaced many multi-board men)

Principle- and facts- oriented golden skirts

Pragmatic business-oriented golden skirts

Aspiring golden skirts (Less experienced as decision-makers)

The analytics: “The young, smart and clever – having fact on the fingertips, often having mentors” (around 40 years)

The controllers: “The ambitious and pragmatic women – using the opportunities given by the law” (50 years +)

Experienced golden skirts (Experienced as decision-makers)

The decision makers: “The iron fists being used to fight – experience from top level politics” (50 years +)

The value creators: “The business experienced - being board members before the gender-balance law” (55 years +)

A snowball effect? Spain, France, Netherlands,

Italy, Belgium, Iceland, Finland

Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal

New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA

China, Japan, Egypt, South Africa, etc

Norway Most business women at

first in principal negative, but after seeing the results in practice positive

Our earlier published research:◦ Bilimoria and Huse 1997,

Huse and Solberg 2006 Our recently published

research◦ Tacheva and Huse 2007,

Huse 2008, Huse, Nielsen and Hagen 2009, Nielsen and Huse 2010a+b, Torchia, Calabro and Huse 2010, Torchia, Calabro, Huse and Brogi 2010, Torchia, Calabro and Huse 2011

Our WOB Findings1. Defining value creation (vs. distribution?)

2. Board task differences (strategy, control, service?)

3. Deep level diversity (female, feminine, feminist?)

4. Tokenism (competence and preparation?)

5. Critical mass (adapting to culture?)

6. Gender related dynamics (baking cakes?)

7. Gender role stereotyping (the men?)

8. Using diversity (leadership?)

9. Evolution of a new discourse (box ticking?)

Enterprise, Finance and Jobs for a New Humanity

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