It seems like good news: the majority of managers in Germany do not have the impression that there are problems with equality in their company. It doesn’t matter whether the boss is a man or a woman. Both sexes are happy. This is (one) of the key results of the 2021 Executive Radar, which the Bertelsmann Foundation collected together with the University of Witten/Herdecke. For this purpose, 1026 managers in small, medium-sized and large companies were surveyed.
Executive Survey: Men and women agree
And the numbers make you sit up and take notice: For almost 75 percent of those surveyed, the gender of the manager makes no difference in their own company. 81.7 percent see no gender conflicts. Almost 77 percent say salaries are paid regardless of gender. Mind you: Here, too, men and women agree. Germany, a paradise for equality. Debates about gender, unequal pay and unfair opportunities for advancement – was there anything?
Well, it’s not that simple. Conversely, the numbers mean that a not inconsiderable proportion of top executives do see deficiencies. Take sexual harassment as an example: If 82.5 percent of those surveyed state that the company is consistently tackling it, that is not a result on which one can rest on their laurels – because almost one in five sees it differently.
Self-assessment and social discourse diverge
In addition, the view of your own organization can be clouded. The discrepancy between public discourse and company self-assessment is obvious. The fact that higher levels of leadership are associated with a more positive image of equality speaks to a blurred picture. In other words, the reality at the grassroots level is different from that at the top. On the other hand, the only thing that helps is to constantly question the conditions in the company. And to allow gender debates – even if they sometimes hurt.