How to balance gender imbalances in business education

Conversations about closing the gender gap in education often focus on STEM fields.

Each March, Women's History Month provides an opportunity to highlight the achievements of women towards true gender equality. This period is also an important opportunity to reflect on the pressing issues facing women. Gender inequality continues to exist in many regions, with the most severe examples occurring in conflict zones, conflict areas and impoverished living conditions in some parts of the world. Additionally, the suffering that is often hidden in abusive family situations hinders women's ability to reach their true potential. As the lower rungs of Maslow's hierarchy of needs are taken up in women's lives, access to education and the ultimate pursuit of equal standing in the workplace are among the key areas in which progress is needed.

The 2022 Graduate Management Admissions Council survey results show that women and men place the same value on pursuing graduate management education to improve career outcomes. However, when we look at the gender gap at graduation, we find that men are 13% more likely to succeed in owning a business than women at the same degree level.

According to US News & World Report, 40% of all applicants to graduate business programs are women. As is the case with MBA programs, that percentage appears to be stagnant or even decreasing. Women surveyed who are turning away from business education cite a lack of confidence and financial insecurity in building a lucrative career after graduation.

2021 National Center for Education statistics show that women tend to earn more associate's and bachelor's degrees. However, most were earned in health professions, psychology, biology, biomedicine, social sciences, and history, and 53% of her business degrees were earned by men. Despite an increase in the number of female business students since this data was published, a proportional increase in leadership roles in business has not occurred. Similarly, while the number of female business students is on the rise, leadership representation within business schools has not kept pace at a proportionate rate.

Pew Research Center data shows that progress is slow, with 10.6% of female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies being women in 2023, but statistics are a little more favorable in higher education, where women will make up 10.6% of female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies in 2023. 32.8% of university presidents are women. Alarmingly, the Gender Social Norm Index (GSNI) published by the United Nations Development Report shows that despite progress made in all industrial sectors, more than 40% of people around the world still It shows that they believe that male managers are better than female managers.

In 2022, Rouhina & Smaldon noted that while more women will attend college than men, men still have more options to pursue high-paying careers that don't require a college degree.

So what are the pathways to addressing gender inequality in business education?

Minimize underestimation in the role of business leaders

Men still hold the majority of leadership positions in all business sectors. This can impact networking, career advancement, and mentoring opportunities for women. A Harvard Business Review article by Tolan and Kaplowitz acknowledges the importance of men's involvement in gender equality efforts. Their 2023 data shows that most men have a desire to support women's advancement in the workforce. Some simple steps men can take include overcoming apathy, addressing current gender imbalances, recognizing their own fears and ignorance, and building workplaces that enable women and men to succeed. is outlined. Therefore, organizations can leverage current leaders' desire to “help” by creating more mentorship and career progression planning platforms, and intentionally narrowing the gender gap through professional development and advancement opportunities. is needed.

At the college of business level, better representation of women at all levels within the university, from faculty, mentors, administrators, textbook authors, and curriculum experts, is essential for female business students to succeed beyond the workforce. It forms part of an important pillar towards the necessary role modeling and mentoring. The program itself.

Addressing the root causes of the gender pay gap

The pay imbalance between men and women remains strong. The business field is no exception. Alas, a 2023 Pew Research Center analysis by Alagao shows that the gender pay gap in the United States has remained stable over the past 20 years, with women earning 82% of men's average earnings. has been done. The situation is strikingly similar in business academia, where most female academics earn less than their male counterparts.

A 2020 study by Krishna and Orhun published in the Harvard Business Review found that the gender gap attributable to performance in quantitative business school courses showed that women scored 11% of a standard deviation lower than men. Some of the root causes have been identified. This solidifies gender stereotypes about whether content preferences are male or female, which can also correlate with future job performance. Krishna and Orhun found that these stereotypes were shattered when women were represented as professors and mentors in quantitative courses, highlighting the importance of role modeling and representation.

Role modeling and expression

The value of role modeling and female representation in business education cannot be overstated. A 2022 AACSB article by Niessen-Luenzi shows that companies have more anti-stereotype female role models and a more equal balance of men and women in leadership positions. Moreover, in these environments, inequality in the ability of women in managerial positions decreases by 12.4% of her. Similarly, female students who see female instructors in some typically male curriculum courses, such as the quantitative courses mentioned above, are more likely to succeed within that curriculum. Mentoring at all levels of education by female and male mentors who are experts in the fields students pursue can be transformative in developing future female leaders.

Addressing gender imbalance in the pursuit of work-life balance

Women remain the primary caretakers and primary nurturers within the family. This therefore impacts women's ability to excel in many educational roles in business, at both ends of the spectrum: student and researcher/professor. According to the Association of American Universities, 44% of tenure-track faculty members and 36% of full professors are women. Her 2023 article in Inside Higher Ed shows that female full professors are 19% more likely to retire than male professors. Although workplace atmosphere is cited as one of the main reasons for this, work-life balance still ranks quite high as one of the best for men and women. -Base departure driver.

Solutions to achieving greater gender equality in business education lead to increased representation of women in all business fields and must be addressed through several different approaches. Creating a supportive and inclusive environment where all genders can thrive in education and business is a good start. This includes providing professional development and mentoring activities for women and ensuring they have access to strong role models at home, school and work.

As all genders pursue the ever-fluid concept of work-life balance, gender imbalances in both work and life domains must be continually addressed with intention and force across all segments of society. is needed. Until then, women around the world will continue to balance and navigate gender-imbalanced systems in both their living and working contexts.