During the 2023 Academy of Management Conference held in Boston, Dr Elena Doldor, Co-Director of the Centre for Research in Equality and Diversity (CRED), has been named the recipient of the prestigious “Faculty Transnational Research Paper” Award. She received this honour from the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) division of the Academy of Management.
Dr Elena Doldor's award-winning paper, titled "Advocating for Women on Boards in the UK and Norway: Framing Processes and Actor Positions," is a collaborative effort with Dr Cathrine Seierstad from the University of South-Eastern Norway.
The paper delves into the complex realm of advocating for women's representation on corporate boards in the UK and Norway — two countries that provide an interesting point of comparison because of their different but active policy approaches to issues of gender equality on boards.
The study inspects how equality issues are framed and who is in the driver's seat when it comes to boosting gender diversity on corporate boards in the UK and Norway. Dr Doldor and Dr Seierstad’s research uncovers the strategies and frameworks used by government, advocacy groups, and companies to push for more gender diversity in each national context. By surfacing what equality arguments are compelling in each country, the study can offer actionable knowledge for policymakers, organisational leaders, and advocacy groups who pursue gender diversity, ultimately guiding more effective and context-specific strategies.
What adds significant value to this research is its transnational perspective. Dr Doldor and Dr Seierstad leverage their extensive expertise to analyse and differentiate the experiences of the UK and Norway, two nations with different approaches to tackling gender diversity on corporate boards. The study reveals that while both countries share a commitment to increasing gender diversity, they have their own way of discussing the different challenges they experience. These variations are shaped by the larger social, cultural, and institutional settings where gender diversity efforts take place.
The Faculty Transnational Research Paper underscores the significance of transnational research in a globalised world. Dr. Elena Doldor and Dr. Cathrine Seierstad's work helps us better grasp the intricate relationship between policy, what people are talking about, and how society changes.