Starting from the assumption that both external and internal factors influence the structures and make-up of an organization, this article analyses the influence of several internal factors on the degree of women’s participation in Austrian and German trade unions. The analysis shows that the following factors have an effect: the size of a trade union, the female share in the membership, the competition for the leading role in the union movement, the activities of the women’s structure to promote female participation and the existence of a strict quota rule. Several hypotheses on the determinants of female representation in the decision-making structures of trade unions can be derived from the results.
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