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However, the increase of just 1.1 percentage points compared to the previous year is “sobering”. In addition, the proportion of female CEOs fell from 28 to 19 percent in the 20 years up to 2023.
Women are hesitant to enter the management echelons and even disappear again at the top. “At the current growth rate, gender parity in senior management is not expected until 2053 at the earliest – unless a further slowdown occurs,” the consulting and accounting firm said on Thursday, citing its “Women in Business” study.
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More commitment from business
In the run-up to tomorrow’s International Women’s Day, advocate Gaby Schwarz called for more women in leadership positions. “We cannot afford to forego the potential of women,” Schwarz said in a broadcast on Thursday. She called for more commitment from business and appealed for half-and-half in leadership positions. She called on women to have the courage to do this too. “While men immediately take advantage of an opportunity, women consider whether they have sufficient qualifications,” regrets Schwarz. This is an inherited problem that we as a society have to change. The potential of women is only being used inadequately. “More and more women are better educated than ever before. Nevertheless, they are still less represented in leadership positions than men – that has to change,” said the Ombudsman.
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According to Grant Thornton, the sharp decline in the proportion of women at the top of medium-sized companies is “worrying”. According to the survey, the main reasons for the departure of female CEOs are public pressure, caring responsibilities and the feeling that they have to behave more like men in these roles.
Positive developments in other hierarchy levels
However, there are also positive developments in the hierarchy levels below: HR management is in the hands of women in 46 percent of medium-sized companies – that is a good third (35 percentage points) more than in 2012. According to the information, there are similar increases among female financial directors Share increased by 27 percentage points to 39 percent in the same period. In 2023, more than a quarter (26 percent) of sales managers worldwide were women (plus 22 percentage points). Responsibility, strategy and flexibility.
In order to further improve the status quo, the consulting company proposes, among other things, a permanent anchoring of responsibility for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) within an organization by members of the management team. Companies should pursue a clear DE&I strategy and have concrete goals to increase the proportion of women in senior management. The fact that women earn less than men remains a challenge. Flexible working arrangements are an effective lever for increasing the proportion of women in managerial positions. “However, the last 12 months have seen a dramatic shift back to office work,” criticized Grant Thornton.
“Women in Business Report”
The “Women in Business Report” is part of the “International Business Report” (IBR) and has been examining the development of the proportion of women in management positions in medium-sized companies in the most important industrial nations worldwide for 20 years. As part of the IBR, more than 10,000 medium-sized companies from all sectors are surveyed about economic developments and trends in medium-sized businesses.
Grant Thornton Austria employs more than 250 people at its locations in Vienna, Wiener Neustadt and Klagenfurt. They advise companies of all sizes – start-ups as well as listed companies. According to its own information, the consultant’s international network includes more than 73,000 employees in over 150 countries.
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