What works: How behavioral design can revolutionize equality

Iris Bohnet, 2017

What works: How behavioral design can revolutionize equality by Iris Bohnet, C.H. Beck, 2017. Iris Bohnet, a Swiss national, is a behavioral economist at Harvard University and Director of the Women and Public Policy Program. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Behavioral Insights Group at the Kennedy School of Government. In her book, she presents the current research on the topic in an easy-to-read and clear format and develops ideas for practical implementation. From her perspective, women's equality in business and society is a human right. She also emphasizes economic reasons for increasing the proportion of women in organizations. At the same time, she is skeptical that appeals alone will not lead to results. In Germany, a quota for female members of supervisory boards was prescribed a few years ago - and today we actually find the number of women significantly increased. So far, we have dispensed with stipulations for organizations and relied on voluntarism and appeals. Here, in many organizations - not all - we are still a long way from gender equality. Therefore, in her opinion, it is still more efficient in institutions and companies to change the rules of the game in hiring, promotion and daily work - and to do so according to principles that behavioral economics has scientifically and empirically tested. Bohnet explains her explanations in a comprehensible, scientifically sound and up-to-date manner. In doing so, she remains factual and avoids a debate that makes women or men victims, perpetrators, or better leaders and people. In short, this is an extremely readable book for anyone who is seriously concerned with this topic.