New publication: "Women's movements and female board representation" by Michael Neureiter and CB Bhattacharya
29.11.2022
Women remain underrepresented in several social, political, and professional domains, including corporate leadership. As a result, companies in many countries have been facing pressure to improve boardroom gender diversity from multiple stakeholders, including women's rights groups. In their new article "Women's Movements and Female Board Representation", Michael Neureiter and his co-author address the question whether the efforts of these groups have been successful.
Specifically, they examine the questions how women's activists go about increasing female board representation, and how companies react to such activist demands. To answer these questions, the authors analyze data on more than 2000 companies in ten countries over a ten-year period. The article finds that women's activists successfully use several strategies - shaming, informing, and empowering - to improve boardroom gender diversity. Companies that are concerned with their reputation, committed to corporate social responsibility, and politically left-leaning are more receptive to the efforts of women's activists for greater female board representation.