Gendered Expectations in Corporate Visual Communication: : A Comparative Study of Sweden and Estonia

Corporations increasingly position themselves as progressive actors in relation to gender equality through visual communication and employer branding. Rather than relying on explicit messages, corporate imagery often normalizes gendered expectations implicitly by presenting them as natural and self-evident. This thesis examines how such gendered expectations are visually constructed and normalized across national contexts. Focusing on multinational corporations operating in both Sweden and Estonia, the study analyses how the same corporate actors adapt visual representations to different gender regimes. Using a qualitative methodology based on semantic and semiotic image analysis, supported by feminist discourse theory, the study demonstrates how corporate visuals reproduce gendered norms through repetition, visual roles, and absence. The findings highlight the role of visual normalization in sustaining gendered expectations while appearing neutral and non-ideological.