A female boss. Or a woman as prime minister. Do we want that? What is the picture anyway when it comes to the combination of women and power? A lot of research has already been done on these questions, with varying results. Here is an explanation of the state of affairs and an explanation of that contradiction. The reason? Remarkable research that Opzij had carried out in the context of the annual Opzij top 100 of powerful women. Woman and power. A difficult subject. On the one hand, it is a trend in governance and management to pay more attention to feminine qualities: although we remain individuals above all, the feminine is more likely to be attributed with qualities such as a sense of community, a social antenna, an eye for cohesion, avoidance of major risks and communication skills. . Good points as a counterbalance to the individuality attributed to men, courage to take big risks, self-confidence and self-profiling. On the other hand, research also sometimes indicates that people are not always looking for a female boss.
To explain contradiction
These contradictory points are easy to explain. In uncertain times – this has also been scientifically established – it is a common reaction to fall back on the old and familiar. It appears that conservative thinkers endorse and propagate their own familiar (ideational) images all the more strongly in the face of tension and uncertainty. On the other hand, there is current innovation thinking, which says: exactly what has not been shown and used enough in bastions of power can be ‘obtained’ in the feminine model of the use of power. See the famous quote by Neelie Smit-Kroes, that the American bankrupt Lehman Brothers would never have caused such a huge bankruptcy… if only they had been Lehman Sisters. But what about the culturally and religiously neglected combination of ‘woman and power’ for a long time? A combination that makes some people downright uncomfortable? Research by the magazine Opzij once again sheds new and remarkable light on this subject.
Power in the service of others
Opzij focused on the theme of ‘woman and power’. Reference is made to American research, which previously showed that women who explicitly say that they aspire to a powerful position arouse aversion, while this is not the case for men. We noticed that women are ambivalent towards power every time we published our top 100 of powerful women, says Margriet van der Linden, editor-in-chief of Opzij. Women feel honored but at the same time do not want to be associated with power. What is interesting about the results of the Opzij research is that it appears that women in the Netherlands do not actually have to be concerned about the association with power. What’s the deal? They are especially popular when women say that they strive for a social form of power, or want to use their influence to help others. In fact, these women are more popular than men.
Opzij Top 100: most powerful woman in the Netherlands 2011
Angelien Kemna, head of investments at the General Pension Group (APG), was chosen as the most powerful woman in the Netherlands by the monthly magazine Opzij in 2011. Kemna manages an investment portfolio of 280 billion, mainly from pension fund ABP. The jury explains the choice by characterizing Kemna as a woman who ‘makes a great and personal mark on the financial sector, while keeping an eye on sustainable social developments’. An extensive profile of the winner in the November issue of Opzij shows that Kemna has a very extensive network in the Netherlands, but that she is always concerned with the content of issues and not with ‘the fuss’ surrounding them. ,If I don’t do it right, people will soon have no roof over their heads,, says Kemna in Opzij.
Vote for a woman?
The research on behalf of Opzij was conducted by researchers from the University of Groningen and Tilburg University. Highly educated Dutch people were asked to what extent they would vote for certain candidate party leaders. A quarter of those who participated in the study were presented with a CV of a male power-hungry candidate. A quarter were also ‘provided’ with a social male candidate. Another quarter received the CV of a power-hungry female candidate. The rest ended up behind the CV of a social woman. And it was the last woman who turned out to be the most popular. Not only as a party leader, but also as someone to make a friendship with!
Aside Top 100 influential women
The Opzij Top 100 of influential women is compiled annually based on ten categories, ranging from sports and culture to politics and business. The 2011 list includes the names of Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Member of Parliament VVD), Wilhelmina Thomassen (judge at the Supreme Court), Dieuwke Wynia (editor-in-chief DWDD and soon director of TV at BNN), Kajsa Ollongren (secretary-general of the Ministry of General Affairs), Neelie Kroes (European Commissioner) and TV presenter Linda de Mol. Jury chairman and Opzij editor-in-chief Margriet van der Linden: ‘I am proud of this list. It is an annual litmus test that shows that there are great women in many positions in the Netherlands who know how to manage things in a distinctive way.’