The Glass Ceiling Effect in Supervisory Board and Board of Directors of Polish Joint-Stock Companies
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Abstract
This article addresses the issue of inequality of opportunity between women and men in access to leadership positions, mainly in management and supervisory boards of companies. This phenomenon is a topical and widely addressed topic both in academic research and in the discourse of international organisations. Research by, among others, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development indicates that affirmative action can have positive effects both within organisations and societies as a whole. An empirical study was conducted to compare Polish state- and private-owned joint-stock companies in terms of the sex of persons appointed to management and supervisory boards. The analysis included a full sample of all 11,995 joint-stock companies registered in Poland between 2001 and 2017, among which 85,908 appointments to management and supervisory boards were made.
Three research hypotheses were formulated:
Women are underrepresented in the supervisory and management boards of Polish joint-stock companies.
The level of underrepresentation of women is higher in state-owned companies than in private companies.
The phenomenon of women’s underrepresentation in the management and supervisory boards of Polish joint-stock companies is decreasing over time.
It has been shown that the share of men in management board and supervisory board appointments is higher than that of women (which may be due to the glass ceiling effect) and that the underrepresentation of women is higher on management boards (which may be explained by the sticky floor phenomenon) regardless of ownership structure. When comparing private- and state-owned companies, it was proven that the underrepresentation of women is lower on the supervisory boards of state-owned companies and on the management boards of private companies. It was also shown that the level of this phenomenon decreases over time regardless of ownership structure. The recommendations drawn up for the state’s socio-economic policy point to the role of socialization, education, and cultural exchange on the perception of women’s and men’s socio-occupational roles. Consequently, actions taken by the state can influence the equalization of opportunities and the situation of women and men in the sphere of the labour market, with a particular focus on greater participation of women in corporate decision-making bodies.
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