Motivations, Characteristics and Evolution of Discussion of Gender Quotas in the Board of Directors under the Institutional Theory Perspective

• In Event: International Issues

Abstract

Researches on representativeness and diversity, with emphasis on the feminine gender and their participation in the market in executive positions and specifically on Boards of Directors, have been motivated by the absence of women in such functions in several parts of the world. The insertion of quota issues from an institutional and legal perspective also stands out in the literature on gender in the business area. There are tensions that could arise with the reservation of places for women and the dilemmas related to Institutional Theory, stakeholders, social identity of organizations and social capital. Under the representativeness of the feminine gender in Brazil, it should be emphasized that the country comes from a macho and paternalistic tradition, marked by the gender inequality that places the female subject, as well as other classes understood as minorities, such as blacks, poor, indigenous, gays and others. These aspects reinforce the difficulty of these individuals to stand out and affirm themselves in management and leadership roles, harming diversity in organizations. In this sense, some initiatives were created in Brazil such as the Women's Movement +360, the Gender Equality and Race Program and the Business Coalition for Racial and Gender Equity. However, despite such initiatives, they hold less than 8% of the boards of directors of a total of 339 companies surveyed in 2015. This percentage has been lower in recent years than in several BRICS countries. In China, for example, the percentage is 8.1%, but without compulsory regulation, and in South Africa, with legal enforcement, the percentage is 17.1%. According to the Global Gender Gap Report, Brazil is in 95th position in a rank of 149 countries that analyze gender equality, labor market issues and education. The report found that, although there are laws requiring non-discrimination, there are no standards that require equal pay for men and women and that they generally suffer more from unemployment. Looking at this context, the following research question arises: What motivations affect the evolution of the debate on gender quotas and implementation within the boards of directors of public government companies in Brazil? In the methodology it will be used the descriptive and qualitative procedures. The qualitative research does not seek regularities, but the understanding of agents and what led them to act as they do. This research will be done through a documentary survey (secondary data) and content analysis.

Authors

• Tatiane Antonovz, Universidade Federal do Parana

• Michael Dias Correa, Universidade Federal do Parana

• Simone Bernardes Voese, Universidade Federal do Parana