L'idée de départ à partir de laquelle a trouvé son origine le présent travail était de traiter le problème de l’inégalité, selon une perspective sociologique, à travers la catégorie de genre et spécifiquement dans le cadre de la science. La différence du nombre de femmes au plus haut niveau (et pas seulement) des hiérarchies du travail dans la science (universités, laboratoires, centres de recherche, institutions) est une réalité. Notre recherche s'est donnée pour objectif d'enquêter les mécanismes à travers lesquels l'inégalité de genre opère dans l’univers scientifique et, pour atteindre ce but, nous avons utilisé l'étude d'un cas jugé particulièrement important et utile, celui des lauréates du prix Pour les Femmes et la Science, une importante reconnaissance au niveau international dédié aux femmes qui travaillent dans la science. Après avoir esquissé l'horizon théorique vers lequel diriger notre attention, nous avons d'abord entrepris une analyse secondaire des données. Nous avons élaboré puis soumis les lauréates du prix à un entretien structuré, intégrant donc la phase d’étude préparatoire avec la voix directe des protagonistes. Le noyau central de la recherche est donc constitué par l'étude de cas du prix qui nous a permis d'établir un dialogue direct avec les femmes qui ont réussi à percer les murs puissants qui ont toujours entourés le “fortin” de la science et qui nous aidé à mettre en évidence certaines des dynamiques clés qui peuvent être tenues responsables de l’inégalité. D'une part, en effet, le prix indique comment la présence des femmes dans l'univers scientifique est encore perçue comme un phénomène à souligner, par conséquent, par certains aspects, à protéger, ce qui témoigne que l'égalité de genre dans la science ne doit pas être prise pour acquise, mais plutôt comme un objectif à poursuivre avec persévérance et détermination. D'autre part, il souligne que la recherche scientifique est devenue - comme la Communauté européenne n'a pas manqué de le mettre en évidence et comme la littérature le souligne - un aspect constitutif d'une société développée et de ses dynamiques économiques et politiques. Nous pouvons nous demander : pourquoi une multinationale a décidé d’investir dans un domaine apparemment si éloigné de son propre secteur ? Comment le prix se situe-t-il dans le contexte de l'entreprise ? Ce sont quelques-unes des questions que nous nous sommes posées et auxquelles nous avons tenté de répondre car considérées indispensables pour affronter de la manière la plus approfondie possible l'étude de cas choisi / The starting point from which this work originated is to understand and investigate the problem of inequality, from a sociological perspective, through the gender category and specifically in science. The difference in the number of women at the highest level (and not only) of professional hierarchies in science (universities, laboratories, research centers, institutions) is a reality. Our research aims to investigate the mechanisms through which gender inequality operates in the scientific world and, to achieve this goal, we have used a case study considered particularly important and useful, that of the For Women and Science Award, an important international recognition dedicated to women who work in science. After defining the theoretical horizon which constitutes the context of the thematics of our research, we have realised a secondary analysis of data and then, we have developed and submitted the award’s winners to a structured interview, integrating, in this way, the preparatory study phase with the direct voice of the protagonists. The core of the research is represented by the case study of the L’Oréal’s Award, which has permitted to establish a direct dialogue with the scientists who have succeeded in science and therefore it has helped us to highlight some of the key dynamics responsible of inequality. On one hand, the Award’s case study reflects how the presence of women in the scientific world is still perceived as a phenomenon to be underlined, therefore, in certain aspects, to be protected, showing that gender equality in science must not be taken for granted, but rather as an objective to be pursued with perseverance and determination. On the other hand, it stresses that scientific research has become - as the European Community has not failed to highlight and as the literature underlines - a constitutive aspect of a developed society and of its economic and political dynamics. We may wonder: why a multinational has decided to invest in an area apparently so far from its own sector? How is the Award’s placement in the company’s context? These are some of the questions we have asked and we have tried to answer in order to face the case study chosen and to receive important and innovative informations about the thematics we wanted to analyse with this research / L’idea di partenza da cui ha avuto origine il presente lavoro è stata quella di confrontarsicon il problema, secondo una prospettiva sociologica, della disuguaglianza attraverso lacategoria di genere e, specificatamente, nell’ambito della scienza. La differenza del numerodi donne ai livelli apicali (e non solo) delle gerarchie lavorative in ambito scientifico(università, laboratori, centri di ricerca, istituzioni) è un dato inoppugnabile in quantopermane costante nel tempo. Nella nostra ricerca ci siamo posti, dunque, l’obiettivo di indagarei meccanismi attraverso cui le discriminazioni di genere operano nell’universoscientifico. La nostra indagine ha principiato con un’analisi della letteratura che ci hapermesso di comprendere e definire lo stato dell’arte attuale evidenziando un trend cheresta, purtroppo, invariato. Abbiamo, in seguito, studiato e cercato di capire e mettere inluce quali siano le motivazioni e le dinamiche alla base della perdurante condizione dimarginalità in cui versano le donne e, a tal fine, siamo ricorsi allo studio di un caso giudicatoparticolarmente significativo e interessante, rappresentato dal Premio Pour les femmeset la science. I racconti delle vincitrici del Premio, rappresentanza dell’eccellenzascientifica mondiale, ci hanno permesso di raccogliere importantissime informazioni riguardoa molteplici aspetti relativi alle nostre tematiche. E’ stato infatti possibile fare lucesull’impatto effettivo esercitato sulle carriere scientifiche femminili da parte dell’iniziativadella multinazionale e, in particolar modo, abbiamo potuto raccogliere direttamente dallavoce delle scienziate opinioni, visioni ed esperienze significative che ci hanno permesso diapprofondire dall’interno e secondo un punto di vista inedito e foriero di spunti, le tematicheoggetto della presente tesi. In questo scenario, dopo aver delineato l’orizzonte teoricoentro cui dirigere la nostra attenzione, abbiamo dapprima intrapreso un’analisi secondariadei dati e, in un secondo momento, abbiamo elaborato e somministrato alle vincitrici delPremio un’intervista strutturata. Il nucleo centrale della ricerca è costituito, quindi, dallostudio del caso del Premio che ci ha permesso di instaurare un dialogo diretto con quelledonne che sono riuscite a fare breccia nelle potenti mura che da sempre hanno delimitatoil fortino della scienza, permettendoci così di rilevare alcune delle principali dinamicheche possono essere ritenute responsabili delle dinamiche discriminatorie che produconodisuguaglianze nell’operato delle donne. Da un lato, infatti, il Premio indica come la presenzafemminile nell’universo scientifico sia ancora avvertita come un fenomeno non risolto,dunque, per certi aspetti, da porre costantemente all’attenzione, a testimonianza diquanto la parità di genere nella scienza non vada data per scontata, ma sia anzi un obiettivoda perseguire con costanza e determinazione. Dall’altro lato, esso mette in evidenzache la ricerca scientifica è diventata – come la Comunità Europea non ha mancato di sottolinearee come rimarca molta letteratura – un aspetto costitutivo di una società evoluta edelle sue dinamiche economiche e politiche. Possiamo allora chiederci: perché una famosissimamultinazionale che opera nel campo della cosmesi ha deciso di investire in unaquestione apparentemente così distante e lontana dal proprio ambito di intervento nel mercato? Come si colloca il premio all’interno del contesto aziendale? Questi sono alcuni deiquesiti che ci siamo posti e a cui abbiamo tentato di rispondere perché ritenuti imprescindibiliper affrontare in modo il più possibile approfondito il caso studio prescelto

With more than 5 million people sick and 300 thousand dead, the global economy has experienced an economic shock more severe than the financial crisis of 2008. The sudden emergence of COVID-19 as a global threat came at a time when a significant percentage of businesses are divided in their degree of digital maturity. The pandemic forced organizations to make digitalization and digital transformation a rapid strategic focus. One of the most important aspects of this transformation has been providing remote infrastructure that can support an entirely digital workforce. Besides this urgent need of digital technology, the situation has resulted in a need of leaders who might need very different competencies and behaviours than leaders needed a couple of years ago. The lack of literature on digital leadership in crisis and empirical research describing the impact of digital transformation on leadership called the authors for further exploration. The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate the adaptation of managers to the rapid digitalization of their day to day assignments caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. In addition, the thesis also sought to explore how high digitalization and digital leadership could function as a vital part of building a crisis-resistant organization against future pandemics. To fulfil the purpose, the following research question was identified: How does a crisis affect digital leadership? The study was conducted through interviews with the management committee of one of the divisions at L’Oréal Group in the Nordics. The empirical findings of this study suggest that managers that lead their teams using digital tools require specific social and task-related skills in order to efficiently communicate with their team in times of crisis. In addition, the findings frame the COVID-19 pandemic as a driver of organizational change towards digitalization and digital transformation. It is concluded that organizations that have the necessary digital infrastructure, digitally skilled workforce and agile operations have and will be more prepared for similar types of events in the future. Correspondingly, this study provides further understanding of digital leadership by researching it in the context of crisis and by providing practical recommendations of how to establish a pandemic-proof business continuity model.