Women and Leadership: Breaking the Nordic Gender Glass Ceiling

The thesis's initiative is to understand why Nordic countries are top performers in the gender equality indexes but far behind the top positions when measuring the share of women in managerial positions. The first three chapters provide the essential theoretical background needed to complete the research. The research part is divided into two in order to fulfil the goal of the thesis. The first part aims to determine whether the gender equality policies are causing the glass ceiling in Nordic countries. Quantitative research is used to analyze the connection between the glass ceiling and various gender equality policies. The outcomes confirm a correlation between the individual income taxes and the share of women in managerial positions. Additionally, it was discovered, with limitations, that quota policy impacted the share of women in managerial positions in the short term. The second part of the research determines whether the gender glass ceiling can be explained by different power motivation by women and men. Hence, qualitative research is completed by interviewing Finnish university students and fresh graduates. Completed interviews discovered that the power motivation between genders are the same, but women are more likely to prioritize the family when facing a work-family conflict. Outcomes of the thesis can serve as a base for future research regarding the glass ceiling in Nordic countries. Additionally, suggestions for young Nordic women aiming to reach the top positions are provided.