Naslov
Gender quotas in corporate decision-making bodies – regulatory promotion of equality of results in the EU

Autori
Horvat Vuković, Ana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
Dignity, Democracy, Diversity - XXIX IVR World Congress

Mjesto i datum
Luzern, Švicarska, 07.07.2019. - 12.07.2019

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Radionica

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
gender quota, EU, democracy, justice, business case

Sažetak
In the EU, equality of results paradigm is utilized in the area of gender equality. Other than tiebreak preferences in standardized jobs, a number of member states have been using quotas in corporate and political bodies. Those seem to be best testing grounds for such policies, due to a non- controversial array of arguments supporting their use and a more lax application of formal equality tailored to highly competitive activities hinging on the use of merit. Regarding quotas in decision- making bodies, the argument from democracy posits a lack of legitimacy for decisions reached by an unbalanced representation of genders. This attenuates the normative strength of adopted policies and regulations, rendering their acceptance and enforcement difficult. A supporting argument is one from diversity, positing a greater quality of decisions reached and better business performance, i.e. a greater responsiveness to the need of the voting/consumer base. Of course, a gender-specific difference in perspectives is due to membership of a suppressed political minority, and not by some innate difference borne out of genetics/endocrine systems. Both the democracy and diversity arguments are not grounded in distributive justice. However, their utilitarian logic appeals to a market democracy and makes them the forerunners in terms of accepted quota justifications. Arguments that are, in turn, based on a particular view of distributive justice, echoing the anti- subordination theory, stress the quotas' impact on group disadvantaging and rebalancing of power. A critical mass of women (transcending pure tokenism) in decision-making bodies enhances female social capital and status, symbolically spilling over into a newfound self-respect for the whole community, as well as lifting women up through ancillary instruments such as female professional networking, mentoring and sponsorship (nurturing ambition and initiating into dominant company codes). Role-model theory allows for a show of permeability of obstacles. The bluntness of the quota system severs the informal social phenomenon of networking. The „gatekeeper“ phenomenon is based on the homophily principle that has traditionally hindered women from „rising through the ranks“, as the vertical segregation makes it likely that the persons involved with selection procedures for higher positions will be male and tend to select candidates similar to themselves. In this way, quotas also protect from unconscious bias, and (according to social contact hypothesis) foster inter- subjectivity between the genders. This influences social solidarity and disrupts the constant reproduction of set centres of power. Indirectly, quotas also promote transparency in recruitment/promotion procedures and clarification of criteria employed.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Pravo

POVEZANOST RADA