Implementing gender quotas in academia: a practice lens

• Published date: 20 May 2019
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-12-2017-0281
• Pages: 447-461
• Date: 20 May 2019
• Author: Jolien Voorspoels,Inge Bleijenbergh
• Subject Matter: Hr & organizational behaviour,Employment law

Implementing gender quotas in

academia: a practice lens

Jolien Voorspoels

Department of Political Sciences, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium, and

Inge Bleijenbergh

Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University Nijmegen,

Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the practices utilized by university actors when

implementing gender quotas, and study how these practices affect gender equality in academic

decision-making bodies.

Design/methodology/approach –The study applies a practice theory lens to the case study of a Belgian

university implementing a gender quota by performing 26 semi-structured interviews with actors, and

collecting and analyzing relevant organizational documents.

Findings –This study shows that university actors implement gender quotas through three practices:

gender-specific calls, scouting and “playing around”. Identifying this variation in practices helps to

understand both actors’sense-making of compliance with gender quotas and women’s decision-making

power in academic bodies.

Research limitations/implications –This study explores how practices interact with the organization’s

broader context and its power dynamics. In future studies, adding ethnographic observations would

strengthen the practice approach.

Practical implications –The study indicates that implementing gender quotas can foster women’s

representation in decision-making, but that a strictly procedural sense-making of gender quotas could also

undermine this. Universities s hould continue implementing ge nder quotas, further analyze the ir

implementation practices and comprehensively adapt their organizational policies and practices to comply

with gender equality goals substantively.

Originality/value –Through a practice theory approach, this paper offers original insight into how actors

comply with gender quotas. Uncovering the implementation process in particular, the paper reveals how

gender quotas could foster gender equality in academic decision-making.

Keywords Academia, Belgium, Implementation, Practices, Gender equality measures, Gender quotas

Paper type Research paper

This paper unlocks the black box of gender quota implementation in academia. As

European universities increasingly adopt gender quotas to foster gender equality (European

Commission, 2013; Peterson, 2015; Schandevyl et al., 2013; Zehnter, 2012; Zinovyeva and

Bagues, 2010), research has mainly focused on the debates surrounding this adoption and

on the quotas’effects on gender equality. This research into the debates indicates that

gender quotas remain controversial (e.g. Andersen, 2010; Peterson, 2015; Schandevyl et al.,

2013). Zehnter (2012) found that the arguments about quotas remained similar over time, but

that the incompetence stigma thrust upon beneficiaries seemed to fade. The research into

the outcomes of gender quotas, meanwhile, indicates mixed effects on gender equality

(e.g. Peterson, 2015; van den Brink, 2010; Zehnter, 2012). Bagues et al. (2014), for instance,

found that increasing the number of women evaluators in academic committees did not

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 38 No. 4, 2019

pp. 447-461

© Emerald PublishingLimited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-12-2017-0281

Received 12 December 2017

Revised 1 August 2018

16 November 2018

Accepted 2 December 2018

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-7149.htm

The authors thank all respondents for their participation in the interviews and would, furthermore, like

to thank Petra Meier, Yvonne Benschop, Ine Gremmen, Channah Herschberg, Monic Lansu and Pleun

van Arensbergen for their critical feedback during the research and writing process. The authors also

thank the editor and the reviewers for their valuable feedback. This research was conducted within the

supportive framework of the European FP7-project EGERA (Grant No. 612413).

447

Gender quotas

in academia