To Örebro University

Mainstream research on management generally continues to ignore gender relations. Even so, over recent years there has been a major growth of international research on gender relations in organizations. Yet, most of this research has focused on gender relations in lower or middle organizational levels rather than the apex of the organization. This book draws on research on gender policies, structures and practices of management in large Finnish corporations. Following initial gathering of annual reports, website and other public material, a questionnaire survey to the Human Resource managers of the largest 100 Finnish companies was conducted (Hearn et al., Gender Divisions and Gender Policies in Top Finnish Corporations, Hanken, 2002). This addressed: the gendered organization of the corporations; policies on gender; and gender divisions and processes of top management. Significant positive correlations were found between the presence of men on the boards and the lack of policies aimed at increasing gender equality in those corporations; and surprisingly, the number of men in middle management and gender equality policies.

This book builds on this earlier work, examining through qualitative interviews more detailed gendered processes in seven selected corporations. These represent corporations that could be described as ‘relatively active’, ‘moderately active’ and ‘not active’ in relation to gender equality. Methodological and substantive issues are examined. These include the views and assessments of the companies’ gender policies and gender issues, especially as seen by the Chief HR managers. This involves contrasts between: formal policies and reported organizational practices; different corporate contexts and individual managers’ positionings; the definition and scope of gender policy; and the relation of gender policies and diversity policy.

This focus on gender policies is understood and located within organizational structures, most obviously gendered corporate hierarchies. Other relevant structures and structural contexts include national context in relation to transnationalization, relations of headquarters and subsidiaries, and interrelations of management, policy development and policy implementation.

Gender relations in practice and gender practices are also considered in more detail. This entails attention not only to gender as meaning and indicating women, but also to the social construction of men, men’s arenas and masculinities. These women and men managers operate at the intersections of gendered transnational managerial work, careers, family-type relations, including marriage and children, or lack thereof. Women and men managers may be part of the same management levels or management teams, but have totally different family-type situations and gendered experiences. Interconnections of management, domestic life and transnationalizations are crucial, intensely gendered matters. The debate on the public/private continues to be important for both gender relations and organizational relations, but now with a further emphasis and elaboration through transnationalizations. The modern transnational corporation is thus considered in terms of gender divisions and gender power, with particular reference to top management. A short concluding discussion, noting implications for research and policy, and a coda complete the text.