Gender Quotas for Corporate Boards

Abstract

Abstract The predominance of men in top-position in the corporate world regularly attracts considerable international attention. To address this gender equality problem and to promote change in the gendered structure of economic life, Norway introduced in 2003 gender quotas for corporate boards. This quota regulation was fully implemented in 2008. Despite great opposition to such gender equity policies both among politicians and among those who were directly affected within the corporate sector, the supporters succeeded to have such legislation passed by the Norwegian parliament. The results so far clearly suggest that gender quotas for corporate boards have been a programmatic policy success in terms of fulfilling the main aim of promoting gender balance on corporate boards. Politically a success in the sense that criticism has disappeared from the debate, business leaders have become supporters, and similar regulation is circulating in many European countries. However, the policy scheme has also been criticized for its limited social impact. Hence, the case of gender quota for corporate boards illustrates lands in the grey area of in-between success (cf. McConnell 2010). However, on balance, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives.