Family Policies: The Case of Iceland

Eydal, Guðný Björk; Gíslason, Ingólfur V.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6771-7_8

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…95 (2000)]. When the non-transferable right of the parental leave between parents came into force in 2000, the share of fathers taking parental leave increased rapidly and reached over 90 per cent in 2008 (Eydal and Gíslason, 2014). The total number of fathers taking paternal leave, however, declined in the economic crises that hit Iceland badly in 2009, as a flat rate ceiling on payment was introduced (Directorate of Labour, parental leave fund, 2010).…”

Section: Work and Familymentioning

confidence: 99%

Top managers and the gendered interplay of organizations and family life: the case of Iceland

Júlíusdóttir

Rafnsdóttir

Einarsdóttir

2018

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Purpose Iceland, along with the other Nordic countries, is seen as an international frontrunner in gender equality and equal sharing of responsibility for paid and unpaid work is part of the official ideology. Nevertheless, the number of women in leadership positions remains low. The purpose of this study is to analyse the practices that (re)produce power imbalances between women and men in business leadership both at the macro and the micro levels. This is done by using two theoretical explanations: gendered organizational practices and the interplay of organizations and family life. Design/methodology/approach The mixed methods are applied by analysing 51, semi-structured interviews with female and male business leaders and survey data from CEOs and executives from the 250 largest companies in Iceland. Findings The analyses reveal gender differences and asymmetries in work life as well as within the family. Men have longer working hours than women, higher salaries and more job-related travelling. Women carry the dual burden of work and family to a higher degree than do men. By questioning and attempting to resist the organizational culture women risk further disadvantage. The situation of male and female leaders is therefore incomparable. This is a paradox and does not fit with the idea of the Nordic gender equality of a dual breadwinner society. Originality/value It is shown that lack of gender diversity in business leadership is based on gendered organizational practices as well as on power relations within families. These two aspects are mutually reinforcing and the originality of the study is to explore the interplay between them. The authors conclude that despite being the country at the forefront of gender equality in the world, neither organizational practices nor family relations recognize the different life experiences of women and men in Iceland. This is expressed in organizational practices and different access to time and support, which may hinder gaining gender equality in top leadership.

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Section: Work and Familymentioning

confidence: 99%

Top managers and the gendered interplay of organizations and family life: the case of Iceland

Júlíusdóttir

Rafnsdóttir

Einarsdóttir

2018

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“…In The establishment of meaningful periods of take-it-or-leave-it paternity leave has also proved effective in transferring care time to fathers. In countries where dedicated father leave has been introduced -most notably in Iceland, where fathers and mothers get 3 months each of non-transferable leave, take-up of the full 3 months by fathers is as high as 65% 14 . Men who stay home to care for children not only spend more time in childcare, they also do more housework 15 .…”

Section: What Can Be Done?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender inequality in work-family balance

Sullivan

2019

Nat Hum Behav

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“…Structural changes and overall employment expansion created demand for women's work (Mósesdóttir, ). Moreover, women's involvement in paid work has been encouraged and facilitated by welfare and family polices implemented in Iceland (Eydal and Gíslason, ). Intrinsically, these policies also work against the discrimination of women on the labour market.…”

Section: Migrant Women's Careers Versus Native Women's Careersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trapped in migrants’ sectors? Polish women in the Icelandic labour market

Napierała

Wojtyńska

2016

International Migration

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The employment‐driven migrations from Poland to Iceland have largely been pioneered by Polish women. They outnumbered men among Polish residents in this country until the economic boom since 2005 triggered large‐scale male immigration. This trend slowed down with the outbreak of the financial crisis, as the recession severely affected the male‐dominated construction industry. The analysis of Polish female migrants’ working experiences shows that recent inflows are mainly shaped by the nature of labour demand as well as the social policies and care services in Iceland. Although economically integrated, compared with native women Polish women tend to occupy rather disadvantaged positions. They seem concentrated in a few low‐skilled occupations that bring little prestige and low income. On the other hand, they were less affected by the financial crisis, in the sense that many of them maintained work, though some experienced lowering of salaries or reduction of working hours.

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Family Policies: The Case of Iceland

Cited by 15 publications

References 4 publications

Top managers and the gendered interplay of organizations and family life: the case of Iceland

Top managers and the gendered interplay of organizations and family life: the case of Iceland

Gender inequality in work-family balance

Trapped in migrants’ sectors? Polish women in the Icelandic labour market

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