1. The use of national public policies for increasing the number of women on boards: The role of actors and processes Dr Cathrine Seierstad School of Business and Management, Queen Mary, University of London Cathrine.seierstad@qmul.ac.uk (Gillian Warner-Søderholm, Mariateresa Torchia and Morten Huse) EQPOWEREC 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. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20152 AIM RESEARCH QUESTIONS  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

3. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20153 Actors (Krooks 2007) Civil society actors State actors International and transnational actors NorwayEnglandGermanyItaly Quota Law Law 40% (2006-2008) Voluntary (Lord Davies Report2011) Law 2014: 30 % women on supervisory boards by 2016 Law 20% (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 systemSingle ‘Supervisory’Single ExecutiveDual VericalDual Horizontal Varieties of Capitalism Coordinated Market economies Liberal Market economies Coordinated Market economies Law systemCivilCommonCivil Tradition 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 democraticLiberalConservative Equality ranking (2013) 3181471 Women’s right to vote 19131918/192819181946 Female rep. in Parliament (2012) 40%23%33%21% Female PM/president Yes No

4. Key Actors at different Levels: NORWAY 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20154 Civil Society Actors Individual Women Politicians Individual Cabinet Members (men and women) Individual Civil Servants Senior WoB Researchers Women’s Networks Women Directors/Managers Male Directors/Managers International and Transnational Actors Swedish Business and Public Debates State Actors Political Leaders Political Parties Civil Servants State Agencies Business/ Corporate Actors Organisations of Board-ready Women Business Associations –NHO –Innovation Norway Employers’ Associations Associations of Directors Consultants/Headhunters

5. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20155

6. Key Actors at different Levels: England 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20156 Civil Society Actors Individual Women Politicians Ex-Politicians (men and women) Individual Civil Servants Senior WoB Researchers Women Directors/Managers Trade Unions Women Business/Professional Networks Individual Business Leaders Media: Individual Journalists International and Transnational Actors EU/International Political Pressure The Norwegian Experience International Research/ Researchers International Consultants/ Associations International women’s network State Actors Political Leaders (invisible hands) Lord Davies Report Business/ Corporate Actors Employers’ Associations Associations of Directors WoB Associations 30 % Club Individual Businesses/ Corporations Big Auditing/Consultancy Firms

7. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20157

8. Key Actors at different Levels: Germany 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20158 Civil Society Actors Individual Women Politicians Senior WoB Researchers Sociologists Women Directors/Managers Trade Unions Interest Groups (e.g. women lawyers) Trade Unions’ Foundations Media: Individual Journalists International and Transnational Actors EU/International Political Pressure The Norwegian Experience International Research/ Researchers International women’s network State Actors Political Parties Civil Servants Business/ Corporate Actors WoB Associations Women Business/Professional Networks Individual Businesses/ Corporations German Subsidiaries of MNC German CG Codex

9. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 20159

10. Key Actors at different Levels: Italy 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201510 Civil Society Actors Individual Women Politicians Individual Women Academics Individual Women in Business Researchers Women’s Networks Foundations Interest Groups/Associations Media: Individual Journalists International and Transnational Actors The Norwegian Experience International Research/ Researchers International Consultants/ Associations State Actors Business/ Corporate Actors Board-ready Women Business Networks Cooperative Movements Board Governance Consultancy Companies

11. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201511

12. Key actors and key motivations - Sample 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201512 NorwayEngland 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

13. Key actors and key motivations - Sample 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201513 GermanyItaly 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

14. Stories of national public policy initiatives 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201514 NorwayEnglandGermanyItaly Quotas are consistent with existing or emerging notions of equality and representation X Women mobilize for quotas to increase women’s representation XX(X) Elites (political, academic, business) recognise strategic advantages for pursuing quotas X Quotas are supported by international norms and spreading through transnational sharing XXX Proactive / ReactiveProactiveReactive Proactive Political actors Political Support Political Parties Broad Political leaders (invisible hand) Fragmented Political Parties Increasing Individual Politicians Limited

15. Poltical Support and key motivation among actors 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201515 Self- InterestBusiness UtilitySocietal Utility Individual/ Fragmented Political support Italy England Germany Broad/ General Political Support Norway

16. 26.08.2015EQPOWEREQ Oslo 201516 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.