Anna Wahl

Changes in working with gender equality in management in Sweden

Purpose – The article is based on a study of the changes in the methods used in working with gender equality issues in management in Sweden from the early 1990s until the early 2000s. Design/method ...

Male Managers Challenging and Reinforcing the Male Norm in Management

This paper explores the possibilities of male executives challenging the masculine norm in management through greater gender awareness in organizations. The impact of presence of women managers and a gender equality discourse in a large male-dominated company in Sweden is in focus in this empirical study. Results demonstrate how constructions of management change when awareness of gender inequality increases. Men challenge the norm when questioning the ideology that justifies mens domination in management. At the same time, constructions of masculinity expand to include new equality ideals and consequently add on possibilities for male managers, thus reinforcing the male norm in management. Constructions of women change, as individual women managers are described as superior, but women managers are still seen as deficient and less suitable for management, as belonging to a gendered category. The implications for organizational analysis and organizational work for change are greater awareness of how gender equality (GE), can simultaneously challenge and reinforce the masculine norm in management. The positive construction of women in management does not necessarily challenge the masculine norm in management, unless GE work is linked to challenging the masculine norm as part of the dominant organizational culture.

The Cloud : Lecturing on feminist research

Lecturers in feminist theory come face to face with the gender order when giving a lecture, which is expressed by preconceptions about feminism. A model, the Cloud, is presented in this article which can be used to improve teaching and increase the chances of constructive dialogue. By bringing preconceptions into the open and analysing them, these ideas can be made to illuminate the presentation, not to hinder it. As a general model the Cloud is a tool that will help us to articulate common beliefs about phenomena to make way for knowledge based on research.

Women at the top of tourism organizations: Views from the glass roof

ABSTRACT Tourism is a predominantly a female economic activity. However, it is still men who prevail at the top. Studies on women as managers usually focus on the “glass ceiling,” i.e., the invisible barriers that hamper qualified women from reaching high-level positions. Hence, by leaving women who are “above the glass ceiling” unanalyzed, it is implicitly assumed by researchers that these women are in a position where gender is no longer an issue. To counteract this tendency, this exploratory study focuses on women top-level managers in tourism organizations. It aims to analyze how these women perceive the influence of gendering processes and gender power relations on their own careers and on womens careers in general in the field. It uses a feminist and qualitative methodological approach. The interviewees acknowledge how gender power relations and persisting gendering processes still affect them, even if they have reached a top position. It is concluded that there are lingering gender issues “above the glass ceiling,” and not only on the way to the top. Reaching a top-level management position does not remove the issue of gender from womens professional lives.

Sweden: Work for Change and Political Threats

The issue of gender equality in working life, and in top decision-making positions in the private sector in particular, has been the subject of much debate in Sweden since the 1990s. Although women currently represent approximately half of the labor force, women are underrepresented on corporate boards. Despite comprehensive legislation concerning gender-discrimination, no legislated gender quotas have been implemented in order to rectify the gender imbalance on corporate boards. The Government has nevertheless “threatened” on a couple of occasions to implement legislated quotas. These threats have sparked resistance, mainly from representatives in the private sector. However, gender equality practices in organizations have increased awareness and knowledge among both employees and managers regarding gendered power relations. This is seen as an important issue that cannot be dismissed with arguments that there are no competent women for board positions. It has also contributed to a mobilization within the private sector in favor of both voluntary and legislated measures to increase the number of women on corporate boards. Moreover, work for change has played an important part in the increase of women’s representation on corporate boards, from 2 percent in 1993 to 23 percent in 2013.

Women on Corporate Boards and in Top Management. European Trends and Policy Work and Welfare in Europe Series

Women on Corporate Boards and in Top Management. European Trends and Policy Work and Welfare in Europe Series

Women as Power Resources : Putting Theory into Practice

The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to our knowledge of working for gender equality in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) organizations by describing the design and pe ...