New study shows that quota has induced more female representation for executive boards, but that relying on voluntary commitment has not proven to be effective! These findings have already proved useful to the German government.

Professor Marion Festing and the Berlin campus’s Chair of Human Resource Management provided scientific support to the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMfSFJ) for the evaluation of the law on the equal participation of women and men in management positions in the private sector and public service (FüPoG). They prepared the evaluation report (in German) with companies Kienbaum and Flick Gocke Schaumburg.

“The results of the present evaluation can be well placed in the findings of international comparative studies on the importance of quotas: in countries with a legally established quota, a higher proportion of women in management positions can be observed than in countries that rely on voluntary commitment!,” commented Prof. Festing. “Therefore, we recommended an extension of binding elements in the law.”
In the same week during which the Federal Government's statement on the effectiveness of the so-called Law on Executive Positions was presented to the cabinet, the working group appointed by the coalition committee agreed on key points of the Second Law on Executive Positions. For the first time, these provide binding guidelines for more women on executive boards.

The report also includes examples of companies that attach great importance to the issues of diversity and equality and that actually have higher proportions of women in management positions thanks to a number of innovative measures (see the best practice recommendations).

 

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