[Under]Representation of Women in Leadership: Where Does the Onus Lie?

Abstract

The underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles continues to generate interest among lay people, policy makers, and academics. At least two distinct lines of research have emerged trying to understand this phenomenon, some academics have dedicated their efforts to understand factors on the supply side, investigating mechanisms used to up skill women and get them ready for leadership roles (e.g., training, mentoring, networking). Almost in parallel, other academics have been interested on the demand side, that is, strategies that aim at increasing the demand for qualified women (e.g., reporting requirements, targets and quotas for women in leadership). In the current symposium, we..