Accidental activists: headhunters as marginal diversity actors in institutional change towards more women on boards

Abstract

We present a qualitative study that examines the role of headhunters as actors in a broader institutional change process aiming to increase gender diversity on corporate boards. We draw on institutional and diversity management theories to conceptualise their change agency in the broader field of women on boards. We describe their role as 'accidental activists' and theorise two micro-processes that define their change agency in this field: voluntaristic framing of intentionality and role redefinition by drawing on competing logics. This conceptualisation does not match the heroic image of the institutional entrepreneur driving institutional change, or that of the tempered radical championing diversity, but rather casts light into a marginal and previously neglected change role. We demonstrate the opportunistic and precarious nature of this role with regard to both institutional change and diversity management and discuss its possibilities and perils.

Gender Equality in Appointments of Board Members: The Role of Multiple Actors and their Dynamics

“…The authors do not address the role of CEOs in recruitment and selection explicitly, but it becomes clear that CEOs have an important role to play in changing gender norms in organizations. Lastly, we build on the work of Doldor et al (2016) who examined the role of headhunters as actors in a broader institutional change process, aiming to increase gender diversity on corporate boards. The authors show that actors who operate from outside the organization and take on diversity as a marginal part of their remit utilise different motivations and strategies.…”

Post‐Heroic Leadership, Tempered Radicalism and Senior Leaders as Change Agents for Gender Equality

“…It has also been shown that gender equality can be spearheaded by change agents. Change agents can include a broad base of actors: specialists and committed managers (the latter often referred to as 'champions') within organisations; consultants, pressure groups and headhunters and trade unions (Nentwich, 2006;Kirton et al, 2007;Tatli, 2011;Doldor et al, 2016). Due to their individual sphere of influence these actors are often referred to as micro change agents (Mattis, 2001;Wahl, 2014).…”

Increasing Gender Diversity in Higher Education Leadership: The Role of Executive Search Firms

“…This shift to becoming part of a solution is a significant step. Doldor et al (2016) examined ESF's role as potential change actors by drawing from conceptual frameworks on institutional change and diversity management to understand how marginal actors, such as ESFs, engage with organisational change. They argue that ESFs are 'accidental activists' in promoting the change process driven by a desire to preserve legitimacy in the context of a "fashionable" debate (p. 298) on increasing women's representation on company boards and see opportunities for gaining a competitive edge in helping their clients to achieve more gender-balanced boards.…”

“…The development of the Diversity Principles Framework can be seen as an example of self-regulation stimulated by the reflexive, deliberative approach which underpins the PSED aimed at ensuring that equality considerations are been taken into account when ESFs are involved in the recruitment process for senior roles. Moreover, it is argued that when working with HEIs by virtue of extending the PSED 'due regard' to the work undertaken by ESFs they can assume a full equality activist role, as opposed to an "accidental" one as described by Doldor et al (2016) in the context of the debate of women on company boards. In their full equality activist role they can take positive action initiatives, as shown by our research, to nurture a more diverse pipeline and widen their contacts to include diversity focused networks and generally use their experience to challenge bias when working with their clients and achieve better equality outcomes.…”

“…Thirdly, they select potential candidates through a process of 'social matching' (Khurana 2002), which is often informed by nebulous and highly subjective notions such as 'intrinsics', 'fit' and 'chemistry' which can make women candidates appear less suitable for executive roles and favour the male candidates who match the existing predominant demographic (Finlay and Coverdill, ibid. ;Doldor et al 2012Doldor et al , 2016. This may be compounded by any risk aversion from both the search firm and the client and can lead to a "usual-suspects bias" (Charam 2005) where, even if the firm has put forward women or candidates from under-represented groups, they are deemed to be more risky and the client will go for "safe bets" (Tienari et al,ibid.,p.…”