Zeugs NEWS 2016

women in top management and in the operative sector of nonprofit organizations - the project continues!

ZEUGS professor Dr. Annette Zimmer was awarded in June 2015 for leading a research project on the situation of women in top management and in the operative sector of Nonprofit Organizations. This project is funded by BMFSFJ and is scheduled for two years. The project aims to examine work and employment in the operational area and at the executive level of NPOs from a gender-centered perspective. Specifically, to analyze in which way the work situation and the career options are shaped at an operational level. And, in this context, how we can explain the lack of women in management positions in NPOs to derive policy recommendations. This project is funded by BMFSFJ and is scheduled for two years. Project coordinator is the associate ZEUGS member Andrea Walter.

Besides ZEUGS Working Paper No. 8/2015: “An die Spitze! Aber wie? ‚Frauen in Führung‘ im öffentlichen, privaten und Nonprofit-Sektor – eine Bestandsaufnahme der aktuellen Literaturlage samt Handlungsempfehlungen“, another paper emerged under this project.

The Working Paper No. 9 represents firstly numbers for gender ratio in management, control and advisory bodies in Nonprofit organizations in Germany (N = 479). However, these results show a picture of light and shadow. The initially calculated numbers appear to be quite positive: the average proportions of women on the boards are at 38% and in the management at 42%. However, in every fifth board we can consider a lack of female representation. In summary it can be stated that the figures calculated - compared with other sectors such as the private sector - do not appear worrisome. Nevertheless, in relation to the high proportion of women within the operating range in the nonprofit sector (around 75%) they are still not satisfactory.

ZEUGS Working Paper No. 9|2016 is entitled Besser geht’s nicht? Geschlechterverhältnisse in Führungs-, Kontroll- und Beratungsgremien in Nonprofit-Organisationen in Deutschland - Ergebnisse einer Online-Befragung.