<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>women – GMAT</title> <atom:link href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/tag/women/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat</link> <description>GMAT Prep Course, Best GMAT Class & Study Books | Manhattan Prep GMAT</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 05 Sep 2019 16:22:31 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2</generator> <item> <title>Will Quotas Help Women in Business?</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/will-quotas-help-women-in-business/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ekrisher]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:33:15 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[gender equality]]></category> <category><![CDATA[quotas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[women]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/?p=1806</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>A few months ago, an article on the academic gender gap at Harvard Business School sparked us to write our own piece on gender inequality in business (and in school). We looked at information from numerous sources on how women perform in school, in the boardroom, and in academia, and we found that, in all […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/will-quotas-help-women-in-business/">Will Quotas Help Women in Business?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" style="float: left;margin-right: 10px" src="//cdn.manhattanprep.com/images/gmat/man-woman.jpg" alt="" />A few months ago, an article on the <a href="//harbus.org/2011/gender-gap/" target="_blank">academic gender gap at Harvard Business School</a> sparked us to write <a href="//www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/2011/05/13/a-b-school-boys-club/" target="_blank">our own piece</a> on gender inequality in business (and in school). We looked at information from numerous sources on how women perform in school, in the boardroom, and in academia, and we found that, in all cases, there was something holding them back. <a href="//www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/57b9d148-b9cf-11e0-8171-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz1TW3Y9IgR" target="_blank">Recent research</a> highlighted in the Financial Times sheds some light on the subtle discrimination that may or may not still be taking place. While our brief investigation left no doubt in our minds that gender inequalities exist, we were still unsure as to what could be done to change them.</p> <p>This week, <a href="//www.economist.com/node/18988506" target="_blank">an article</a> in The Economist described the steps European nations are taking to give women in business a better fighting change.<span id="more-1806"></span> After recognizing that while women make up half the workforce, they only represent 10% of board members, European countries began passing laws that would require publicly listed companies to fill a quota of women in their executive seats. Variances on this law have already passed in Spain, Norway, and France, and Germany is currently considering one, as well. The aim of these laws, according to an EU representative, is to have 30% of European boards be comprised of females by 2015.</p> <p>The driving idea seems simple enough “ greater diversity in the upper echelons results in better decision-making and better returns. Indeed, <a href="//www.economist.com/node/18988694" target="_blank">another article</a> in The Economist discusses how McKinsey found that those companies with a larger number of women in senior positions benefit from a higher return on equity, fatter operating profits and a more buoyant share price. Supporters of gender quotas see this data as evidence they will succeed: more balance, more profit. Everyone benefits.</p> <p>It’s an admirable goal, no doubt, but is it reasonable? For an issue as nuanced as gender inequality, quotas seem to be merely a surface solution, failing to take into account the individual make-ups and hang-ups of companies across industries. As The Economist so aptly points out, Quotas force firms either to pad their boards with token non-executive directors, or to allocate real power on the basis of sex rather than merit. It’s a top-down approach “ one that may cause more harm than good.</p> <p>Consider Norway. Boardroom gender quotas have been in place there since 2006, and early findings show that they have actually had a detrimental effect on the companies who enforced them. <a href="//www.theglasshammer.com/news/2010/03/11/is-norway-working-the-case-for-women-on-boards/" target="_blank">Theglasshammer.com</a> cites data from the University of Michigan’s study which shows that when a board saw a 10% increase in the number of women, the value of that company dropped 18%. This fall is attributed largely to the fact that, in order to meet the quota, boards were forced to recruit women who were younger and less experienced. The demand for capable women surpassed the supply and businesses suffered as a result.</p> <p>Is that to say that the quota system will never improve the gender balance in business? Definitely not. We only wonder whether it will do anything to improve the underlying gender inequality. If quotas result in women being promoted prematurely and companies taking a loss, are we not further perpetuating the underlying causes of gender stereotyping? There is no doubt that business still has a long way to go towards gender equality, but it’s possible that there are better solutions than stacking boards to fill a quota.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/will-quotas-help-women-in-business/">Will Quotas Help Women in Business?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>A B-School Boys Club?</title> <link>https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/a-b-school-boys-club/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[ekrisher]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2011 20:20:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[MBA News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[business school]]></category> <category><![CDATA[equality]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Harvard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[women]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/?p=1285</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Historically, business has always been a boys club – picture spiffy suits, cigar clubs, and golf course negotiations. That was back in the day, of course, and recently women have become much greater players (think Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo). Even so, gender equality – or inequality – remains a hot-button issue, and some recent press […]</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/a-b-school-boys-club/">A B-School Boys Club?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" style="float: left;margin-right: 10px" src="//cdn.manhattanprep.com/images/gmat/rosie.jpg" alt="" />Historically, business has always been a boys club – picture spiffy suits, cigar clubs, and golf course negotiations. That was back in the day, of course, and recently women have become much greater players (think Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo). Even so, gender equality – or inequality – remains a hot-button issue, and some recent press has us taking a second look at women’s status in the business world.</p> <p>When <em>The Harbus</em> reported recently on <a href="//harbus.org/2011/gender-gap/">the academic gender gap at Harvard Business School</a>, it stated that women were <em>shocked</em> by a marked historical difference between men and women’s academic performance at business school. The article goes on to detail how the women (the article’s authors in particular) combated their surprise by researching the causes of the achievement gap, looking to understand how personal, social, and demographic characteristics affect the academic experience.</p> <p>After reviewing several possibilities, the researchers found that the most substantiated cause for women’s underperformance at HBS was their feeling of discomfort towards speaking in class. The women reported feeling less comfortable participating due to their perceived difference in academic and professional backgrounds. They also found themselves self-editing in class in order to manage their image outside the classroom.</p> <p><span id="more-1285"></span>Stacy Blackman, in a <a href="//www.usnews.com/education/blogs/MBA-admissions-strictly-business/2011/05/06/study-examines-harvards-academic-gender-gap">US News article</a> responding to <em>The Harbus</em>, reinforces this conclusion. Blackman cites several instances of women in business being held to gender-specific ideals, including one occurrence when she, herself, was told by a b-school professor to act demure. Her article emphasizes the fact that women in business still feel the need to prove themselves. Blackman says, Even the brightest, most driven, and most ambitious women feel intimidated in the classroom and tend to censor themselves during discussion wondering if what they said was OK or appropriate.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, the findings of both Blackman and <em>The Harbus</em> report are frequently substantiated in other contexts. For instance, an <a href="//www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/girls-and-science/">article</a> on Wired reported astonishing findings on the interactions of female students with both male and female professors, noting that women were significantly more likely to contribute and ask for help when the professor was a woman. Furthermore, the article cites several studies which looked at how stereotypes of women played a role in their academic performance. The studies found that when a group was primed with a negative stereotype, the average male scored three times higher than the average female, whereas groups without stereotypes showed equivalent scores for both men and women.</p> <p>Why, then, are the women so shocked over the presence of a student gender gap in business school? Why is it significant to note that HBS is <em>not alone </em>in observing a historical achievement gap? Of course they aren’t! Similar instances of gender difference are present in numerous environments and situations pertinent to MBAs, as both Blackman and <em>The Harbus</em> note. For Blackman, the gender difference is visible in MBA hopefuls, while in <em>The Harbus</em> report the researchers note that, on average, men have slightly higher GMAT scores than women.</p> <p>Furthermore, in early 2010, The World Economic Forum released <a href="//www.weforum.org/pdf/gendergap/corporate2010.pdf">a report</a> on the Corporate Gender Gap. The report found that while the percentage of women employees in the Unites States was 52.22%, the percentage of female CEOs was near 0%. The average percentage of women among a company’s Board of Directors? The report cited it at only 20%. Even more significant, perhaps, <a href="//www.aacsb.edu/publications/businesseducation/2011-Data-Trends.pdf">a report on business school trends</a> by AACSB International found that 82.7% of full-time b-school professors are men. A <a href="//www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/23/business">second study by Shani D. Carter</a> concurred, reporting that female professors at business schools tend to remain in the mid-faculty ranks and earn significantly less than their male counterparts.</p> <p>So what can we take away from all this? We can acknowledge that , yes, there is an academic gender gap among students at HBS and other top business schools. Yes, it is created by an overarching gender inequality that asserts itself over and over in innumerable contexts. As Blackman says, It is in this type of environment that women must find a way to be sharp and successful but also be women. In the meantime, let’s work on closing those gaps.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/blog/a-b-school-boys-club/">A B-School Boys Club?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat">GMAT</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>