The opaque gendered lens – barriers to recruitment and career development

Christina Scholten,Hope Witmer

doi:10.1108/gm-09-2015-0082

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to reveal gendered leadership constructs that hinder a competency-based view of leadership in Swedish-based global companies and the implications for leadership recruitment and development to top management positions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, which have been analyzed using a gender analytic framework to identify how senior management, Human resource management and leadership trainees are discussing leadership and career development.FindingsThree themes were identified as clouding the issue of gender-equal leadership practices thereby creating an opaque gendered lens of who is defined as eligible for leadership positions. The three themes were: symbols as gendered images, counting heads – preserving the existing system and illusive gender inclusion.Research limitations/implicationsRecruitment practices were identified as contributors to homosocial practices that perpetuate male-dominated leadership representation. However, specific recruitment practices were not fully explored.Practical implicationsThe potential use of gender equality as a sustainable management practice for competitive organizations to recruit and develop talented people.Social implicationsTo create resilient and gender-equal recruitment and leadership development practices.Originality/valueThis research offers an original perspective on gender representation at the senior management level in global companies by revealing gendered leadership constructs in the leadership recruitment and development process as antecedents to unequal gender representation in senior management positions.

Highlights

Despite decades of gender equality policies and affirmative action in Sweden and globally, women in top management positions are still under-represented in both the private and public sectors
When symbols are attached to gender and the imbued power, control, independence and prestige associated with these symbols, it perpetuates a gendered construct of leadership
The purpose of this study was to identify if gendered leadership constructs exist that distort a competency-based view of leadership in Swedish-based global companies and the implications for leadership recruitment and development to top management positions

Summary

Introduction

Despite decades of gender equality policies and affirmative action in Sweden and globally, women in top management positions are still under-represented in both the private and public sectors The authors would like to thank Prof. 10 participants in the FALF conference in Gothenburg in June 2014, and Prof. The authors thank the Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova, which has funded the research projects from which data has been analyzed in this article

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