Female representation at the corporate top (IVOR nr. 126) 2022/1.3.1:1.3.1 Theoretical lens

Female representation at the corporate top (IVOR nr. 126) 2022/1.3.1

1.3.1 Theoretical lens

Deze functie is alleen te gebruiken als je bent ingelogd.Deze functie is alleen te gebruiken als je bent ingelogd.Deze functie is alleen te gebruiken als je bent ingelogd.

A liberal feminist lens was applied for conducting the research for this PhD research. Feminist theories combine organizational theory and women’s issues with a view to creating more gender equal organizations.1 Feminist theories are used to provide a critique on current and past situations of male domination and offer opportunities for revision by trying to induce change in organizations.2 The liberal feminism lens is among those feminist strands that are considered most influential in literature.3 The starting point of this research is that the underrepresentation and subordination of women are considered to be related to ‘individual problems’ of women and ‘structural errors’4 and that organizations are gender neutral.5 Furthermore, the liberal feminism’s point of departure is that women and men should have equal rights and that social arrangements that uphold discrimination should, therefore, be eradicated, e.g., through effective implementation of anti-discrimination legislation.6 Given the fact that these premises are acknowledged by liberal feminism, liberal feminism was chosen as the theoretical basis for this research.

The disadvantaged position of women in society is believed to be caused by the male-structuring of society.7 Liberal feminism views women’s problems as individual problems.8 As such, liberal feminism does not consider female oppression and the male dominated structuring of society to be a problem that lies within organizations.9 Organizations are seen as being ‘gender-neutral’10 and the problems women face are, therefore, not considered to be related to organizational problems, such as gendered practices within organizations. Liberal feminism

“assumes that the causes of barriers for women’s equality in organizations lie in individual limitations and structural errors. (…) attitudes, traditions and cultural norms still represent barriers to women’s access to higher status and higher paying positions in the workplace, despite legal sanctions against sex discrimination.”11

Liberal feminism is premised on the idea that women’s oppression can be ended by providing equal opportunities to women and men.12 Equal opportunities can be achieved by ‘removing structural barriers that discriminate against women’.13

Since liberal feminism advocates equal opportunities, proposed interventions to achieve equal opportunities for women and men do not require a radical restructuring of society.14 Governmental interventions that aim to provide equal opportunities to women and men are, for instance, affirmative action measures and the adoption of legislation that prohibits discrimination.15 Organizational interventions aimed at providing equal opportunities,16 include mentoring programs, transparent promotion procedures, and interventions to arrange work in such a way that it provides women and men the opportunity to work flexibly.17

Deze functie is alleen te gebruiken als je bent ingelogd.