“From nude calendars to tractor calendars”: The perspectives of female executives on gender aspects in the North American and Nordic forest industries

Increasing gender diversity is no longer just the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. However, although there is general literature about gender diversity and the perspectives of females in top management and leadership, there are very few forest sector specific studies. This exploratory study utilizes interviews to better understand how female executives in North America and the Nordic countries of Finland and Sweden perceive the impact of the situation of gender diversity in the forest industry. Respondents also provide career advice for young females entering or considering entry into the industry. Female executives in both regions agree that although the forest sector is still seen as a male-oriented industry, there are signs of increasingly positive attitudes regarding industry/company culture towards the benefits of greater gender diversity. However, the described changes represent an evolution, not revolution. Interestingly, despite the status of Nordic countries as leaders in bridging the gender gap, respondents from this region believe that there is significant progress yet to be made in the forest industry, especially at the entry level. With respect to career development, North American respondents suggested young females should consider sacrificing their social life and leisure time activities. Instead, Nordic respondents emphasized personal supports or using exit strategy from an unsupportive company or boss.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author