This document provides an overview of Monica Wirz's presentation on women on boards and beyond quotas. The presentation aims to situate the debate on gender quotas for corporate boards in its proper context. It discusses the gender leadership paradox of high awareness of the need for more women in leadership but persistently low participation. The debate involves considering representation, gender assumptions of leadership, and key dimensions like numbers and critical mass. The document offers a multi-dimensional framework to move the discussion beyond dichotomous thinking to consider the macro, meso, and micro levels.

1. Women&on&Boards:&&
Beyond&Quotas?&
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Monica&Wirz&
mw483@cam.ac.uk&
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2. Aims&and&agenda&
• A&word&of&thanks:&ESCP,&KPMG,&David&Chekroun&&
• Situating&myself:&background&and&interests&
– “Global&citizenship”,&dual&role&in&management&and&academia&
– Governance&and&sustainability&through&leadership&and&diversity&
– Gender&quotas&on&boards&as&an&important&catalyser&in&this&debate&
• Context&of&debate&
• Framework&for&tonight’s&discussion&
Monica Wirz

3. The&gender&leadership&paradox&
Monica Wirz
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!
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High!awareness!
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Pro.parity!discourses!
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Social!&!corporate!
benefits!
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Persistently*low!par:cipa:on!of!women!in!high!powered!corporate!
posi:ons:!!
global!phenomenon,!albeit!with!na:onal!varia:ons!
We’ve!never!had!it!so!good….!

4. Situating&the&debate&
Monica Wirz
!
!
!
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Representa:on!
(par:cipa:on)!
Poli:cal!
Arena!
Corporate!
Arena!
Very%different%theore-cal%tradi-ons%&%discourses…%%

5. From&political&theory:&&
Politics&of&ideas&vs.&politics&of&presence&
• Politics&of&ideas:&bedrock&of&Western&democracies&
• The&voices&of&all&its&citizens&must&be&accounted&for&in&such&a&way&that&
there&is&a&random&and&somehow&proportional&reflection&of&the&
diversity&of&its&citizens&in&its&assemblies.&
• Proponents&of&politics&of&presence:&complementary,&aims&to&counterU
act&exclusionary&effect&of&unequal&societies.&Rationale:&&
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Monica Wirz
Role*Model* Jus2ce* Interests* Values*
• !Availability!and!impact!
for!other!women!in!
society!
• !ShiIs!focus!and!burden!
of!proof!to!men!
• !“Patently!and!
grotesquely!unfair”!that!
one!group!monopolises!
representa:on!(unspoken*
quota)*
• !!That!arise!from!
women’s!dis:nc:ve!
posi:on!in!society!
!!
• !Assumes!a!certain!
ontological!difference!
between!women!and!men!
• !Women!qua!women:!
burden!of!representa:on!of!
a!whole!(and!elusive)!
category!woman!!

6. Key&dimensions&in&the&gender&&&
leadership&debate&&
Monica Wirz
Gender!!!!!!
assump:ons!
Numbers!

7. Numbers:&critical&mass&
Monica Wirz
Premise:!numbers!maQer!regarding!voice!and!the!legi:macy!of!different!perspec:ves!!

8. &
Gendered&assumptions&of&leadership&
Monica Wirz
• Western!(US)!literature!
• Stems!from!an!industrial!society!
• Public/private!split!
• Sexual!division!of!labour!
• Leadership!prototype:!white,!middle.
aged,!well.educated,!male!
• Heroic!leadership!bias!(“He.Man”!fallacy):!
free!from!family!responsibili:es!(fully!commiQed)!
• Gender!role!incongruence:!women!don’t!
match!the!leadership!prototype!and!when!they!“try!
too!hard”!they!also!fail!to!“do”!femininity!properly!

9. Explaining&the&gap&through&different&
phases&of&corporate&culture&
Monica Wirz
1.*Denial*or*“No*
Problem”*
• !Not!a!core!business!issue!
• !Absence!of!gender!diversity:!“natural”!programming,!
individual!preference!
!
2.*The*Woman*
Problem*
• !Own!deficiencies!or!shortcomings!
• !Solu:on:!learn!to!adapt!to!(male)!workplace!norms!
3.*Incremental*
Adjustment*
• !Pipeline!effect:!a!maQer!of!:me!
• !Solu:on:!usually!tokenis:c!and!through!isolated!
ini:a:ves!
4.*Commitment*
to*a*New*Culture*
• !Absence!related!to!deeper!symptoms!within!
(organisa:onal!and!societal)!culture!!
• !!Solu:on:!‘inside.out’!cultural!change,!including!beyond!
the!organisa:on!and!involving!various!stakeholders!!
Source:!!Sinclair!(2005:!19)!!
1.!depending!on!societal!
expecta:ons/condi:ons!
&!!
2.!appe:te!for!
interven:on:!
.!legally!enforced!quotas!
.!codes!of!conduct!

10. Ambiguity&towards&intervention&(quotas)&
Monica Wirz
• Poli2cal*tradi2on*of*country:*a`tude!towards!State!interven:on!in!
business!life!
• Social*norms:*a`tude!towards!gender!roles!in!the!labour!market!and!family!
environment!
• Discourse*level:*for/against!(binary)!vs.!more!layered!(beyond!the!business!
case!or!solely!board!level)!
Societal!level!
(structure)!
• Stakeholders’*involvement:*regulators,!investors,!ac:vists,!consumers,!
media,!unions,!leadership!team,!!employees!
• Availability*of*organisa2onal*tools:*to!incen:vise!ini:a:ves,!measure!
progress,!reward!success!and!sanc:on!non.compliance!
Ins:tu:onal!
Interac:ons!
(“doing”,!process!
level)!
• !Apprehension!about!being!labeled!a!“quota*woman”*
• Individual!merit!and!competence!usually!seen!in!a!vacuum!
• Unconscious*bias*by!individuals:!homogeneous!reproduc:on!of!elites!and!
limi:ng!gendered!roles!(leadership!and!family!life)!
• S2cky*floors*&!golden*skirts*
Individual!
Reac:ons!

11. So&what?&Where&next?&
Avoid!facile!&!dichotomous!
thinking!
Keep!and!eye!in!the!bigger*picture!
&!the!long*term*
Taking!different!
players!into!account!
Long!term!
sustainability:!
companies!as!part!of!
society!
Bigger!picture:!more!than!the!boQom!line!
yes/no!for!quotas!+!
quotas!for!
execu:ve/non.
execu:ve!posi:ons!
Men/women’s!roles/
jobs!
Monica Wirz

12. MultiUdimensional&framework&&
Macro!
Meso!
Micro!
• Laws:!leadership,!mid.career,!parental!leave,!
caring,!educa:on!
• Norms:!merit!&!competence,!commitment,!
“proper”!paren:ng/caring,!gender!roles!
• !“Nudge”!effect:!symbolic/expressive!func:on!
of!the!law,!signalling!where!we!want!to!go!as!a!
society!
• Company!policies!&!tools:!targets,!
monitoring,!rewards!&!sanc:ons.!Mainstreaming!
across!organisa:on!
• Engagement:!efforts!from!shareholders,!
investors,!employers,!employees,!customers,!!!
media,!regulators,!unions,!grass.roots!ac:vists!
• Work!persona:!sponsorship/mentoring,!role!
model,!unconscious!bias,!human!capital!
development,!“lean!in”!
• Home:!gender.neutral!division!of!emo:onal!
labour.!
Monica Wirz