Management & Strategy

The Leading Stocks Quotes Powered by Forexpros - The Leading Financial Portal
.

Swedish top Companies that fail to meet female egalitarianism identified and blacklisted

Wednesday, 15 February 2012
One hundred Swedish companies or nearly 40 percent of companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange have no women in senior management team.

Now there is the increase talk that the Swedish quest for sex egalitarianism where women should be encouraged to aspire to the top is not being met. This is being discussed now in the premise of lack of proper drive to generate debate and increase routes to equality.

“We are seeing a pretty sad future ahead of us if we continue like this. That must change, not only for women but for the Swedish business sector's sake,” says Rebecca Lucander, president of the Foundation Allbright who is behind the new "black list".

The black list is a list of companies that are not doing anything to propel women to the top places in the management position. These companies are large Stockholm stock exchange listed companies that are privately owned.

Financier Sven Hagströmer, the Foundation's instigator and financier, is not as concerned. Fir him, all of capitalism is based on the idea of meritocracy, it's competence if people should be rewarded just because of their sex he points out.

“I want to try to influence my colleagues in the industry to do something about this - Over ride meritocratic forces so capitalism will go to hell.”

Both Lucander and Hagströmer suggest that women today are in the majority in higher education, but not reflected in many senior management teams.

“When you consistently choose but not women's skills, that does not represent the entire talent pool, but only half” said Lucander.

To start pointing fingers, Oresund, where Sven Hagströmer has been a long time major shareholder and chairman, is one of the listed companies on the blacklist. Avanza, where he also has a major influence, equality right is mediocre, according Allbrights ranking.

“I think it is better to sit in the glass house and throw stones than to sit with folded arms,” the financier defended himself.

The debate about male dominance in top management and in business is now much about the board room, which Allbright want to change. The real power lies not in the boardroom, according to Rebecca Lucander.

“It's not on the boards but on the daily operations of the companies, - it is in management, she says, adding that management is an important recruitment area for what board members do is appointments.

Scania is a company that is almost on top of the blacklist, which is not surprising to press Officer Hans-Ake Danielsson. But he stresses that in the very top management there is an increase in the proportion of female managers.

On the issue of blacklisting it look like it can make women less likely to apply for positions in Scania’s top management areas. Scania feels that it can not be the case that women fee excluded. From the point of recruitment, it may be negative but women are still encouraged to give a try.

In principle – the Swedish laws and in Swedish media, show that equal before the law is supposed to be simple and supposed to be the norm of the ways of life here.

Another important principle or theory is that discrimination is never tolerated in Sweden regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, etc., so we should expect that a very highly civilised and educated country like Sweden will respect will it principles and that theories become working principles or practices especially in the labour market or in society as a whole. But in Sweden all forms of discrimination is a way of life and the women (non immigrant looking) have the power and support to drive their case and they are doing now.
By Scancomark.se Team

Live Economic Calendar Powered by Forexpros - The Leading Financial Portal