Professor emeritus at BI Norwegian Business School from 1.1.2021. Member of Board of Governors at Academy of Management (AOM 2019-2022). Full time professor position at BI Norwegian Business School since 2002-2020, but I have had periods of part time leave. Adjunct professor BI 2000-2002. My PhD (dr.oecon) is from NHH in Bergen.
"Life is too short to drink bad wine". This is a reminder to give priority to the most important things. I want to make a contribution through my research, to individuals, business and society, and the best way to do that is by working with junior faculty and PhD students. My working environment is a virtual organization - connecting to people from all over the world. This has also led me to make presentations on important arenas (including various Parliaments and main international newspapers, etc), and I have been teaching at universities in more than 20 countries.
My present research agenda contains three main topics. They are all embedded within the integration of theory and practice - and venturesome research designs. - Contributing to value creating boards with a focus on understanding actual board behavior, board processes, dynamics and how boards may contribute in the future. The digital transformation of society is a core factor for understanding the future of boards and corporations. (See Huse 2018: "Value-creating boards: Challenges for future research and practice") - Contributing to gender equality in business and society with a focus on questions around getting women on boards. The research agenda about getting women on boards contains observations of actors, their motivations and their interactions. - Contributing to developing a "sharing" philosophy of doing management research. I share the concerns presented by leaders of the leading acacemies of management (e.g. AoM and EURAM) about how the present focus on publishing may take attention away from doing good research. Research is much more than cracking the codes of getting into premiere journals. (See Huse 2020: "Resolving the crisis in research by changing the game".) 2012-2017
I was at Witten/Herdecke University in Germany: Head, hands and heart - a holistic approach to research and teaching. I accepted in 2012 a five year late career position as chairholder at the Reinhard Mohn Endowment Chair for Management, Business Ethics and Societal Change. This private university is built on anthroposophic values. It showed me the importance of having lighthouse universities around in Europe. I had thus 2012-2017 part time leave from my position at BI.
2010-2012
After having been highly involved in the Academy of Management in USA (AoM) I appreciated the establishment of a European Academy of Management (EURAM), and I was its president 2010-2012. My overall objective in this period was to create a European based community of engaged management scholars.
2002-2012
During these years I spent considerable time in Italy and contributed to the internationalization of Italian universities. In management research. First at Bocconi, later many other places including Tor Vergata, Federico II and La Sapienza. I was also in the ASN commission evaluation professor tenure in organization studies.
1997-2002
The main position these years was at the Centre for Church Research, Oslo. Here I wrote six books about clergy and leadership in the church.At the same time I had and adjunct professor position at Halmstad/Lunds University. There I researched and teached about boards of directors in SMEs and venture capital based firms. In this period I was Director of International Programs at AoM, and my committee had the charge of making this academy international.
1989-1997
The main position in this period was at Nordland Research Institute in Bodø, Norway. The research agenda was about boards in SMEs, entrepreneurship and regional development. I had an adjunct position at Bodø Graduate School of Business (Nord University). During the end of this period I became President of the National Association of Corporate Directors (StyreAkademiet) in Norway. I completed my PhD about actual board behavior in 1994, and I got a positive evaluation as full professor in entrepreneurship from BI in 1995.
1981-1989
Several positions in business, ie. insurance (Norges Brannkasse/Uni Insurance), hotels (SAS Royal Hotel Bodø) and consulting (Bonitas/Arthur Young). I had also a short period as development aid worker in South Sudan before the civil war started in 1984. Lecturing strategic control at Bodø Graduate School of Business. I practiced as astrategy and boardroom consultant.
1978-1981
Scientific assistant at NHH (Bergen) and later involved in an action research project on church leadership (Oslo). Lecturing management at Norwegian Deaconal College.
1972-1977
Period of full time studies at NHH (siviløkonom 1976 + HAE 1978), but also religion studies at NLA, the University of Bergen and Menighetsfakultetet (Oslo). In this period I served in the military as a scout on the Norwegian/USSR border, and as a board representative for the army soldiers serving in the Northern part of Norway. Worked as temporary teacher at a local elementary school.
Klarsfeld, Alain (red.). Encyclopedia of Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Huse, Morten (2023)
Board Processes and Performance: The Impact of Directors’ Social and Human Capital
Aldag, Ramon (red.). Oxford Research Encyclopedias: Business and Management
Huse, Morten & Gabrielsson, Jonas (2023)
Value-creating boards in SMEs: Team production efforts
Journal of International Doctoral Research, 10(1), s. 87- 105.
This study theoretically and practically contributes to show how boards in SMEs can contribute to value-creation. Furthermore, a value-creating conceptual framework is developed integrating an extended team production theory. Team production theory has its roots in law and economics, and it is an alternative to agency theory (Blair & Stout, 2001). The extended team production theory has a focus on leadership and managerial behavior, and it integrates core strategy perspectives from both industrial organization and resource approaches. We were honored that an extended version of this article recently accepted for publication in the Handbook of Research in Corporate Governance and Business Ethics (Gabrielsson & Huse, 2023). In this present article, we specifically showcase to what degree boards in practice may create or destroy values within the organization and we apply a novel lens of extended team production theory to do this.
Yamak, Sibel & Huse, Morten (2023)
Let’s do research!
Sinergie (Italian Journal of Management), 41(3), s. 11- 22. Doi: 10.7433/S122.2023.01
Gabrielsson, Jonas & Huse, Morten (2023)
Sustainable ethics and team production: Implications for value-creating boards in SMEs
Talaulicar, Till (red.). Research Handbook on Corporate Governance and Ethics
Abstract Sustainability has become a key concern for SMEs whose board members recognize the need to consider not only the financial bottom line but also the environmental and social performance of the business. Sustainability is about ethics because it calls on board members to consider not only the condition of current stakeholders but also the potential condition of future people that are at the mercy of contemporary unsustainable production and consumption patterns. In the chapter, we build on recent developments of the extended team production theory to discuss the characteristics and behavior of value-creating boards in SMEs. We present an integrated value-chain framework that may be used for developing the value-creating potential of boards to achieve the long-term sustainability goals of the business. Key Words: Boards, ethics, SMEs, sustainability, team production, value creation Why is it more likely that boards are destroying rather than creating values? This is the first observation that motivates the chapter. The second observation is that boards are not teams – at least not in most cases. The third observation is that team efforts at the board level can contribute to sustainable value creation in financial, social, and environmental terms. We will, in this chapter, reflect on these observations in the context of privately held small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We discuss how their boards, in practice, can be value-creators rather than only value-distributors or value-destroyers. We apply sustainability as a meta-concept that explicates the ethical aspects embedded in value creation and the moral responsibility to consider not only the financial bottom line but also environmental and social performance. In the context of SMEs, our discussion identifies how board members in practice may contribute to sustainable value creation in financial, social, environmental, and ethical terms. The chapter is built on the recent developments of the extended team production theory (e.g., Huse & Gabrielsson, 2012; Gabrielsson, Calabro, & Huse, 2016; Gabrielsson, Åberg, & Huse, 2020). Team production theory has its roots in law and economics and has been presented as an alternative to agency theory. The extended team production theory focuses on leadership and entrepreneurial behavior and integrates core strategy perspectives from both industrial organization and resource approaches. Our theorizing offers an integrated value-chain framework that may be used for developing value-creating boards in SMEs. Our discussion emphasizes that value-creating boards are highly potent agents of change with a collective capacity to prevent, mitigate and adapt to climate change and its adverse impacts on the planet and its people. However, we also recognize that many businesses rely on activities and practices damaging the environment while simultaneously mistreating employees and other stakeholders in their value-creation efforts. The often-unsustainable approaches to value creation that abounds in and around boardrooms warrant the need to integrate the requirements of a healthy economy and the needs of human society with environmental protection and restoration . Board members have a special responsibility in this regard because their decisions can have an immense impact on natural environments and on the local communities where their businesses operate. The vocabulary in this chapter supplies a toolkit that may help board members use both hands, i.e., combining many ways of creating values. Board members are in a value chain framework supposed to put their collective efforts where they add the most value while. This is typically done by paying attention to value-creating possibilities across the whole value chain. In this respect, a value-chain analysis contributes to finding possibilities for sustainable value-creation that consider not only the financial bottom line but also environmental and social performance
Huse, Morten & De Silva, Muthu (2023)
Polymorphic research and boards of directors: Let us make a better world together
Cucari, Nicola; Yamak, Sibel, De Falco, Salvatore Esposito & Lee, William (red.). Handbook of research methods for corporate governance
POLYMORPHIC RESEARCH AND BOARDS OF DIRECTORS: LET US MAKE A BETTER WORLD TOGETHER Abstract: Our objective with this chapter is to show how innovative methods can help us contribute to important and path breaking research about boards and governance. We introduce polymorphic approaches, and we emphasize co-creation. The illustrations are leaning on a sharing philosophy of doing research. Polymorphic research is about alternative ways of thinking and doing research. Through polymorphic approaches we challenge existing formulaic approaches to research about boards and governance, including messages, methods, interpretations, publication, and target audiences. We present examples using introspection, the champagne method and co-creation. Our position is that while the existing methodologies are useful, the simultaneous generation of theoretically rigorous and practically impactful research requires innovative methods. We show how innovative methods in corporate governance research can contribute to solving the present crisis in research by moving the dominating research philosophy from “publish or perish” to a “sharing” philosophy. Key words: champagne method, co-creation, corporate governance, gender, introspection
Huse, Morten (2023)
Diversity and corporate governance: how can groundbreaking research be developed?
Tasheva, Sabina & Huse, Morten (red.). Research handbook on Diversity and Corporate Governance
Do we contribute to create a better world through our diversity and corporate governance research? I am in this contribution challenging formulaic diversity and corporate governance research. Scholars are challenged to use polymorphic approaches. We should dare to challenge mainstream assumptions and even dare to "swear in the church". There is a need to explore what diversity means taking into consideration a changing society and societal needs. We should try to have perspectives about the future and not only about the past. We should include the impacts of digitalization, migration, globalization, climate change, pandemics, economic inequality, and even wars.
Tasheva, Sabina & Huse, Morten (2023)
Research handbook on Diversity and Corporate Governance
Edward Elgar Publishing.
We are presenting a collection of articles that deal with issues of gender beyond the dichotomy; intersectionality of gender and other important characteristics such as cast, ethnicity, and novel theoretical dimensions such as dynamic capabilities and digital expertise. Furthermore, this collection of articles contains a number of studies thatdelve deeper into the way that boards are working by exploring demographic faultlines and theories of proportions; and contributions that integrate insights across disciplines and decades of research into a historical overview ad multilevel framework of diversity and corporate governancne.
Does Board Diversity Matter? The Impact of Actual and Perceived Human Capital Diversity on Board Processes and Performance
Academy of Management Proceedings
Gabrielsson, Jonas; Huse, Morten & Åberg, Carl (2020)
Corporate Governance in Small and Medium Enterprises
Anheier, Helmut & Baums, Theodor (red.). Advances in Corporate Governance: Comparative Perspectives.
Huse, Morten (2020)
Resolving the crisis in research by changing the game: An ecosystem and a sharing philosophy
Edward Elgar Publishing.
This groundbreaking book arrives at a time of growing concern for the future of true scholarship. Morten Huse calls upon the scholarly community to reflect on the recent dramatic changes to academia, calling for coordinated efforts to reorganise the scholarly ecosystem. Offering a holistic view of academia, Huse outlines the institutions, audiences, messages, channels and communities that interact in this ecosystem, introducing a ‘sharing philosophy’ as the foundation of change. Reflecting on the past and looking to the future, this exciting book demands a communal approach to scholarship that comprises an open, innovative and impact-driven attitude to research that can change the academic game. Incisive and optimistic for the future, this book is crucial reading for PhD students and junior faculty members hoping to find new avenues for impactful and innovative research. Established scholars, as well as leaders of academic institutions, academies and associations concerned with recent structural changes to scholarship will also benefit from Huse’s strong critique and alternative pathways.
Drawing on 31 interviews, we explore the life trajectories of some of the women with most directorships in Norway after the introduction of the quota, with specific attention to their capitals. Adopting a Bourdieusian approach, we examine to what extent forced structural changes (the quota), challenge what are valued as legitimate capital(s) in the field (corporate boards). Our research demonstrates the progressive role of the quota in challenging gendered ideas of suitability. We found that structural adjustments in the field are leading to realignment in terms of the field-specific value and meaning of different types of capitals, which are redrawing the boundaries of the field in the process. We conclude that the external push through state-imposed regulation has broadened the field, resulting in the recognition of a wider set of capitals as legitimate. The study responds to the much-debated question about the utility of quotas in addressing systemic and historical inequalities.
Rethinking boards and governance in the digital era: implications for practice and research
Gabrielsson, Jonas; Khlif, Wafa & Yamak, Sibel (red.). Research Handbook on Boards of Directors
In this chapter we reflect on the ongoing megatrend of digitalization in relation to boards of directors. We define and discuss the digital transformation and its consequences for societies and corporations as well as how corporations cope with digitalization inside and outside the boardroom. Furthermore, we examine and discuss accountabilities and competencies for boards and board members in the digital era. The chapter concludes with an analysis of different layers in which digitalization and the digital transformation of society may influence boards and governance
Huse, Morten (2019)
What matters most for our scholarly community: Reflections from former AOM presidents
Benito, Gabriel R G & Lunnan, Randi (red.). Voyages of a Scholar: Navigating Companies, Channels, and Clusters
Management research has during recent years been subject to critical attention. There have been calls for redirections toward what matters most and toward scholarship with an impact. In this paper I present reflections about the future of scholarship. AOM (The Academy of Management) has become an important premise vendor for international management research. To embed suggestions for redirection of research, I analyzed these presidential addresses over twenty-five years. I found that many of them have raised similar concerns. The AOM presidents have argued that management research suffers from a too narrow view of scholarship, theory and practice are not connected, and an audit culture with negative consequences. The presidents of AOM all have a reflecting presidential address at the end of their presidential period. They typically address what they see as the most important issues or challenges for the AOM, for management research and for scholarship in general.
Rigolini, Alessandra & Huse, Morten (2019)
Women and multiple board memberships: Social capital and institutional pressure
We show unintended consequences of quota regulations to get women on boards. Board members may have diferent characteristics, and even among women, there are variations. We assume that the characteristics of the board members have an infuence on their contributions to boards, to businesses as well as to society. In this paper, we argue that diferent types of societal pressure to get women on boards have an infuence on the social capital characteristics of the women getting multiple board memberships. The paper is drawing on institutional theory and social capital theory, and we distinguish between mimetic, normative, and coercive types of pressure. Through a cluster analysis of 58 Italian “golden skirts”, we show that diferent types of societal pressure may lead to diferences in social capital characteristics. The study has implications for the ongoing international debate about women and diversity on boards, and we propose developing a pressure theory for getting women on boards.
Solomon, Esther & Huse, Morten (2019)
Corporate Governance and Paradoxical Tensions: Leadership Dynamics Through Facet Theory
Relying on a sample of 841 respondents who are board members of Norwegian firms, this study applied Dr. Guttman’s Facet Theory along with nonmetric multidimensional scaling to propose and empirically test structural hypotheses about perceptions of boardroom dynamics. The application of this formal methodology to studying corporate governance processes offers unique insights into leadership dynamics and paradoxical tensions as board members experience them in the boardroom. A facet framework defining the content universe formed the basis for facet profile configurations expressing classes of boardroom dynamics. Results overall confirmed the structural hypotheses and the lawfulness of a radex structure representing boardroom processes. Three facets differentiated among classes of boardroom processes in terms of whether they represent opportunities or threats for cooperation, board asserting or acquiescing roles, and approaching or distancing orientations. These facets represented the qualitative differentiation and jointly played the polarizing role, while a fourth ordered facet on specificity played the modulator role. Director’s perceptions of shared leadership and monitoring comprise enabling orientations and are differentiated from inhibiting orientations that include dominating leadership and biases. The findings have implications for director’s motivation and ability to engage in their monitoring and resource provision roles, or alternatively, contribute to governance inertia.
In search of an institutional framework for anticorruption: Lessons from Scandinavia
Thunderbird International Business Review, s. 1- 14. Doi: 10.1002/tie.22028
Huse, Morten (2018)
Value-creating boards: Challenges for Future Research and Practice
Cambridge University Press.
This Element shapes the discussion about corporate governance and boards of directors. The arena for boards and corporate governance is not static. In Boards, Governance and Value Creation (Cambridge 2007), Morten Huse presented knowledge about boards with a focus on behavioural perspectives. The present contribution reflects on what has occurred during recent years. It contributes to the literature around sustainable value creation in business and society. This Element brings an update of the content of the 2007 book and thus provides a resource for students and scholars – as well as for reflective practitioners.
Gabrielsson, Jonas & Huse, Morten (2017)
Governance theory: Origins and implications for researching boards and governance in entrepreneurial firms
Gabrielsson, Jonas (red.). Handbook of Research on Corporate Governance and Entrepreneurship
McLaughlin, Hazel; Silvester, Jo, Bilimoria, Diana, Jane, Sophie, Sealy, Ruth, Peters, Kim, Möltner, Hannah, Huse, Morten & Göke, Juliane (2017)
Women in Power: Contributing factors that impact on Women in organizations and politics; Psychological Research and best practices
Women on the board in Italy: The pressure of public policies
Seierstad, Cathrine; Gabaldon, Patricia & Mensi-Klarbach, Heike (red.). Gender diversity in the boardroom: Volume 1: The use of different quota regulations
Seierstad, Cathrine & Huse, Morten (2017)
Gender quotas on corporate boards in Norway: Ten years later and lessons learned
Seierstad, Cathrine; Gabaldon, Patricia & Mensi-Klarbach, Heike (red.). Gender diversity in the boardroom: Volume 1: The use of different quota regulations
Huse, Morten (2016)
Styret, varsling og fløyteblåsere - styremedlemmene må tenke selv
Alm, Kristian; Brown, Richard Mark & Røyseng, Sigrid (red.). Kommunikasjon og ytringsfrihet i organisasjoner
Gabrielsson, Jonas; Calabrò, Andrea & Huse, Morten (2016)
Boards and Value Creation in Family Firms: An Extended Team Production Approach
LeBlanc, Richard (red.). The Handbook of Board Governance
En annen versjon av denne artikkelen er tidligre publisert i Burke and Cooper 2009: The Peak Performing Organizations, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-4517-3
Rasmussen, Janicke & Huse, Morten (2011)
Corporate Governance in Norway: women and employee-elected directors
Mallin, Christine A (red.). Handbook of International Corporate Governance: Country Analyses
Huse, Morten (2011)
Styrer i gaselle-bedrifter
Magma forskning og viten, s. 23- 28.
Minichilli, Alessandro & Huse, Morten (2011)
Styreoppgaver i vekstbedrifter
Magma forskning og viten, s. 46- 63.
Russ, Michael & Huse, Morten (2011)
Einflussverhalten von Aufsichträtinnen: eine explorative Studie
Zeitschrift für Freie Assoziation, 14(3+4), s. 103- 105.
Styreevalueringer - hva er det, og hvordan brukes de?
Magma forskning og viten, 12(3), s. 41- 51.
Huse, Morten (2009)
Styrelederen: Fra ordfører til leder og motivator
Magma forskning og viten, 12(3), s. 28- 40.
Huse, Morten (2009)
Innovaciones corporativas: Mujeres en consejos directivos - lecciones aprendidas de Noruega
Congreso Internacional Sare 2008: "Igualdad en la innovacion, innovacion para la igualdad"
Pugliese, Amedeo; Bezemer, Pieter-Jan, Zattoni, Alessandro, Huse, Morten, Van Den Bosch, Frans A.J. & Volberda, Henk W. (2009)
Boards of Directors' Contribution to Strategy: A Literature Review and Research Agenda
Corporate governance. An International Review, 17(3), s. 292- 306.
van Ees, Hans; Gabrielsson, Jonas & Huse, Morten (2009)
Toward a Behavioral Theory of Boards and Corporate Governance
Corporate governance. An International Review, 17(3), s. 307- 319.
Huse, Morten; Gabrielsson, Jonas & Minichilli, Alessandro (2009)
How boards contribute to value creation
M. Huse (ed), The Value Creating Board: Corporate Governance and Organizational Behaviour
Huse, Morten (2009)
Exploring methods and concepts in studies of board processes
M. Huse (ed), The Value Creating Board: Corporate Governance and Organizational Behaviour
Huse, Morten (2009)
Building blocks in understanding behavioral perspectives of boards: Developing a research stream
M. Huse (ed), The Value Creating Board: Corporate Governance and Organizational Behaviour
Huse, Morten; Gabrielsson, Jonas & Minichilli, Alessandro (2008)
Improving corporate governance practices
The Peak Performing Organization Ronald J Burke, Cary L Cooper (eds), The Peak Performing Organization
Huse, Morten; Gabrielsson, Jonas & Minichilli, Alessandro (2008)
Improving corporate governance practices
The Peak Performing Organization Ronald J Burke, Cary L Cooper (eds), The Peak Performing Organization
Huse, Morten & Hoholm, Thomas (2008)
User-driven innovation in Norway: context and case
Wise, E. and Høgenhaven, C. (eds) User-Driven Innovation: Context and Cases in the Nordic Region
Hoholm, Thomas & Huse, Morten (2008)
Brukerdrevet innovasjon i Norge
Magma forskning og viten, 11(5), s. 25- 40.
Huse, Morten; Gabrielsson, Jonas & Minichilli, Alessandro (2008)
Knowledge and accountability: Outside directors contribution in the corporate value chain
P-Y. Gomez and R. Moore (eds), Board Members and Management Consultants. Redefining the Boundaries of Consulting and Corporate Governance
Huse, Morten (2008)
Die menshliche Dimension in der Corporate Governance aus Scandinavisher Sicht
Wunderer, Rolf (ed.): Corporate Governance - zur personalen und sozialen Dimension. 44 Statements aus Wissenschaft und Praxis (Festschrift für Martin Hilb)
Huse, Morten (2008)
Women directors and the "black box" of board behaviour
S. Vinnicombe, V. Singh, R. Burke, D.Bilimoria and M.Huse (eds), Women on corporate boards of directors: International research and practice
Huse, Morten & Zattoni, Alessandro (2008)
Trust, life cycle and actual board behavior: Evidence from 'one of the lads' in three small firms
International Studies of Management and Organization, 38(3), s. 71- 97.
Huse, Morten (2008)
Consigli di famiglia e sistemi di governance nelle PMI familiari: teoria dell'agenzia e logica paternalistica
Le PMI familiari in Italia tra tradizione e novitá, Luca Gnan & Daniela Montemerlo (red)
Hagen, Inger Marie & Huse, Morten (2007)
Employee directors in Norway
Perspektiven der Corporate, Jürgens, Sadowski, Schuppert and Weiss (eds)
Hagen, Inger Marie & Huse, Morten (2007)
Do employee representatives make a difference on corporate boards? Examples from Norway
Jürgens, Sadowski, Schuppert and Weiss: Perspektiven der Corporate Governance
Accountability and creating accountability: a framework for exploring behavioural perspectives of corporate governance
British Journal of Management, 16, s. 65- 80.
What is board accountability, and how is such accountability created? This response to Roberts, McNulty and Stiles suggests a framework for exploring behavioural perspectives of boards and corporate governance. The contribution of this framework is to develop a terminology that may help us accumulate. knowledge and provide directions for a research agenda. The consistent use of a terminology, the accumulation of knowledge and an accepted research agenda among a core group of scholar are some of the first steps in developing a promising research field with considerable potential to create actionable knowledge. The framework can help us sort some of the research, concepts and anecdotes that have been presented in efforts to open the black box of board research.
Huse, Morten; Neubaum, D. & Gabrielsson, Jonas (2005)
Corporate innovation and competitive environment
The International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1(3), s. 313- 333.
Gabrielsson, Jonas & Huse, Morten (2005)
"Outside" directors in SME boards: a call for theoretical reflections
Corporate Board: Role, Duties and Composition, 1(1)
Gabrielsson, Jonas & Huse, Morten (2005)
Context, behavior and evolution - challenges in research on boards and governance
International Studies of Management and Organization, 4(2), s. 11- 36.
Huse, Morten & Gabrielsson, Jonas (2005)
Perspectives on boards and governance from Europe - contingency, behavioural and evolutionary
International Studies of Management and Organization, 34(2), s. 3- 10.
Huse, Morten (2004)
The Church and its clergy
Winsnes, Ole Gunnar: Contemporary church and religion: Nordic perspectives
'Lean in' and variations in gender discourses about getting women on boards
[Academic lecture]. EGOS Colloquium.
Abstract With a starting point in Sandberg’s ‘lean in’ approach, we studied national and international discourses about getting women on corporate boards. We wanted to reveal discourses that may have negative consequences for individuals, business and society. A multi-sited ethnographic study was used, and we followed the quota-debates in Norway, Italy, Germany, Spain and Slovenia. In this paper we first identify various feminist arguments and sort them in five main sets of gender codes. We then following sociological system theory observed how the arguments were coupled in different discourses. We found that not all discourses were constructive. Some of them could lead to negative consequences for women, businesses and societies. This is also the case for Sandberg’s approach. We suggested that her ‘lean in’ approach can be described as creative misunderstanding. Through our study we make an international contribution to women’s career advancement. Key words: Women’s career advancements, women on boards, sociological system theory, feminism, misunderstandings,
Åberg, Carl; Shen, Wei & Huse, Morten (2017)
The relationship between Board Chair Human Capital and Board Dynamic Capabilities
La creacion de valor en los consejos y la diversidad de gener: Como progresar para incrementar el numero de mujeres en los consejos de administracion en España
[Report]. Handelshøyskolen BI.
España fue uno de los primeros países en establecer una normativa que contemplaba la igualdad de género en los consejos de administración de las empresas a través de la ley orgánica 3/2007 de 22 de marzo. A pesar de ello, la recomendación que establecía la ley para todas las grandes empresas de alcanzar el 40% de presencia del género menos representado en los Consejos, no incluía ninguna sanción. Como consecuencia de ello, España es en la actualidad uno de los grandes países de Europa con el menor porcentaje de mujeres en sus consejos. En este informe, se presentan sugerencias para incrementar el número de mujeres en los consejos de administración en las empresas españolas. La presente investigación presenta los resultados de un estudio empírico que se realizó desde el otoño de 2015 hasta la primavera de 2016. Los métodos usados han sido observaciones directas, entrevistas y encuestas realizadas a través de un cuestionario on-line. Las observaciones sobre otros países y las investigaciones anteriores se nutren de aportaciones de diversos estudios. Estas observaciones se presentan también en este informe, como una comparativa. Sobre la base de los resultados más sustanciales de la encuesta, los debates llevados a cabo en grupos organizados, las entrevistas realizadas, el escaso avance del enfoque voluntario, las exigencias del colectivo empresarial español por reflejar la realidad social y de los consumidores, así como de la necesidad de credibilidad, fiabilidad, gobernanza corporativa y competitividad, se concluye que: 1) Las cuotas son más rápidas y más sencillas que la presión informal para obtener resultados. Un enfoque flexible podría llevarse a cabo para avanzar igualmente, pero exigiría en todo caso elaborar una amenaza relativa a una eventual adopción de cuotas para poder obtener resultados. Para liderar el cambio, se debe crear de forma temporal una estrategia concreta dirigida por una estructura política con la eventual ayuda de un comité ad hoc o un organismo rector. 2) La comunidad empresarial tiene que abrir los ojos y alinearse para ver las ventajas de la inclusión de mujeres en los consejos al ser una fuente de talento amplia y diversa. 3) Existe una necesidad de coordinar los esfuerzos de los diferentes interesados para lograr y completar el progreso. Esto no puede hacerse a través de las organizaciones ya existentes de mujeres, sino a través de la cooperación entre políticos, empresas y líderes (hombres y mujeres) por medio de una estructura que coordine la estrategia y su implementación. 4) Las propuestas para la promoción de mujeres en los consejos de administración deben complementarse con el desarrollo de condiciones necesarias para que los consejos de administración que creen valor, en particular enfocadas hacia la formación en Consejos de administración de sus miembros. Palabras clave: Mujeres en los consejos, España, argumentos, cuota, aprendizaje, creación de valor
Value Creating Boards and Gender Diversity: Suggestions to progress in getting women on boards in Spain
[Report]. BI Norwegian Business School.
Spain was one of the first countries in Europe to set out gender balance legislation on corporate board by the organic law 3/2007 of 22nd of March. The objective was the attainment of effective equality of women and men. However, when referring to boards of directors the recommendation set out in the law for big companies to attain a 40% of the least represented gender by 2015 did not contain any sanctioning. Neither has been the case of most recent legislation on this issue: neither the Law 31/2014, of the 3rd of December, amending Capital Corporate Act in its art.529 quindicies.3, b, setting out the free willing yearly imposed quote, (flexi-quote) nor Recommendation 14 of the Good Corporate Governance Code of the CNMV , lowering the threshold to a 30% by 2020. As a consequence Spain is at present the large European country with the lowest percentage of women on boards. When Professor Morten Huse asked me to help him identifying main actors and drivers and support him in his research, I told him my opinion. In Spain there are important misconceptions and barriers; so that it would be needed to make a preliminary study of those, before starting a research as the one developed in other countries. I then manifested him that I would design a strategy, having a survey as a starting point, to discover all these issues. The survey should help us better understand the reasons why developments in Spain are slower than in the rest of the biggest countries of the European Union. Having the survey as starting point, we made over thirty interviews, two panel discussions related to recruitment methods and value creation issues, and we held several meetings with groups of different stakeholders of this debate: - listed companies - board members - foundations related to good governance, company transparency, corporate social responsibility - head hunters - women associations - civil servants concerned by this debate - members of Parliament - politicians - consultancy firms - business schools - journalists The path has not been easy, since interviewees were often reluctant to freely speak about the topic on some occasions or clearly mentioned they were not interested in taking part in it. There was a clear mismatch between the interest in knowing the results, which was relatively important, and the disposal to contribute to the research. The journey to understand the Spanish situation has been demanding; sometimes requiring insistence, other times patience and in general with a considerable degree of flexibility. We have now arrived to an end of our project and will be able to give some conclusions. Hopefully, we will contribute to various stakeholders by shedding some light on how to progress in empowering women, building a more sustainable society and contributing to create more diverse and competitive corporations.
Huse, Morten (2015)
Streams of Board Research
[Academic lecture]. 13th Norefjell Board Governance International Research Workshop on Behavioural Perspectives of Boards of Directors.
Huse, Morten; Tørlen, Therese N & Seierstad, Cathrine (2015)
Making a career as a board member: Some motivational lessons from the "Golden Skirts" 2007-2015
[Academic lecture]. WoB seminar.
Bankewitz, Max & Huse, Morten (2015)
Is it important to differentiate between the functional and firm-specific advice boards are providing
[Academic lecture]. Research seminar.
Huse, Morten (2015)
Replacing corporate governance with value creating boards
[Academic lecture]. TBC on Corporate Governance.
Bankewitz, Max & Huse, Morten (2015)
Boards' different advisory tasks
[Academic lecture]. SMA Scientific Conference.
Huse, Morten (2015)
“Is it important to differentiate between the functional and firm-specific advice boards are providing?”
[Academic lecture]. EURAM, CG SIG, June 2015, Warsaw.
[Academic lecture]. Academic accreditations and journal rankings.
Huse, Morten (2013)
En snøball startet å rulle i Norge
[Popular scientific article]. Ledernytt, s. 66- 68.
Huse, Morten & Seierstad, Cathrine (2013)
Getting women on to corporate boards: Consequences of the Norwegian gender balance law
[Article in business/trade/industry journal]. European Financial Review
A snowball has started to roll in Norway as a consequence of the introduction of a gender balance law. This snowball has triggered a global avalanche, and the world is looking to Norway. Below, Morten Huse and Cathrine Seierstad question what can be done to increase the number of women on boards, and consider the background and consequences of Norwegian gender balance law on corporate boards.