Written by: Susanna V. Kempe, CEO of Laidlaw Foundation Two things happened this week which reminded me that bemoaning the continued lack of gender equality, without committing to do something about it, is not only exhausting and misery inducing, [...]
My reflections on the EQUALL conference earlier this month, and the ways insights from the conference have inspired me to change my behaviour.
Oxford -- The Laidlaw Foundation will fund scholarships for women at Saïd Business School. The scholarships are intended to encourage extraordinary women with clear leadership potential to enrol onto the MBA programme when they would not have previously considered the qualification due to financial constraints.
New Columbia Business School dean and David and Lyn Silfen Professor of Business, Costis Maglaras, has made diversity, equity, and inclusion a top priority. “My vision is an inclusive, supportive culture that lifts up voices that have historically been underrepresented in business—and to provide post-graduation support to help them reach the C-suite. Our first step is to ensure that the School is financially accessible for all who wish to study here.” Inaugural Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business, Gita Johar, concurs. “I will focus on enhancing and expanding our gender and diversity initiatives. We must take a cohesive, consistent approach to achieve the best outcomes.”
Laidlaw Foundation's partnership with London Business School aimed to advance women in business has received coverage from Gulf News.
Over the last two decades, organizations have seen substantial progress in increasing women’s representation in top leadership. While the numbers are still far from parity, the general view is that this progress for women in top leadership will naturally spread to improve women’s outcomes in other domains, such as pay equality. But is this true? Researchers conducted five studies measuring or experimentally manipulating people’s perceptions of gender diversity in top leadership, and found a strikingly consistent pattern: when people perceive greater levels of women’s representation in top leadership, they overgeneralize the extent to which women have access to equal opportunities, which then decreases their concern with gender inequality in pay and other domains. These findings are worrisome because people’s concern with inequality ultimately predicts their willingness to address it.
Over the last two decades, organizations have seen substantial progress in increasing women’s representation in top leadership. While the numbers are still far from parity, the general view is that this progress for women in top leadership will naturally spread to improve women’s outcomes in other domains, such as pay equality. But is this true? Researchers conducted five studies measuring or experimentally manipulating people’s perceptions of gender diversity in top leadership, and found a strikingly consistent pattern: when people perceive greater levels of women’s representation in top leadership, they overgeneralize the extent to which women have access to equal opportunities, which then decreases their concern with gender inequality in pay and other domains. These findings are worrisome because people’s concern with inequality ultimately predicts their willingness to address it.