Shaping the Policy Agenda: An Analysis of the Agenda-Setting Process for Gender Quotas in Icelandic Corporate Boards Using the Multiple Streams Framework

• Main Author: Halldór Mikael Halldórsson 2000-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Stjórnmálafræði; Kynjakvótar; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/43731

This thesis investigates the agenda-setting process for gender quotas on corporate boards in Iceland using John Kingdon’s multiple-streams framework. Despite Iceland’s reputation as a leader in gender equality, Iceland was confronted with the problem of having low female representation on corporate boards in the late 2000s. To combat this problem, the government passed a law in 2010 mandating gender quotas on boards of directors. The study found that the example of Norway was influential in the policy stream. In addition, the financial crisis created a favorable environment in the political stream. This thesis shows that the gender quota case in Iceland provides a valuable example of policy problems being debated across different policy contexts and of how solutions are matched to the problem. The study also demonstrates how the multiple-streams framework can be used to explain the role of each stream in affecting outcomes. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of timing and political management in the success of policy ideas. Finally, it underscores the critical role of political actors in shaping policy discourse and driving issues into creation.