DOMAIN BUILDING OR RISK TAKING? (In-)equality in Danish School Management

Abstract

The Nordic Countries are usually seen as the worlds must successful nations when it comes to gender equality, and the Scandinavian population in general appreciates values traditionally labeled feminine as caretaking and the quality of everyday life. However, the inequalities become obvious in school management. Among headmasters in High school in Denmark only 18 % are women despite of the fact that 52 % of the teachers are female. How can we explain that? This article is based on a survey answered by top- and middle level management staff. It rejects all traditional explanations of the relations between gender, values and family obligation but reveals an interesting difference between two strategies for career development: Domain Building and Risk Taking. Both strategies are applied by both men and women. However, one of them seems to be the most effective with regard to achieve a position as a top manager – and one of them is more often preferred by men than by women.