How focused are the world’s top business schools on educating women for global management?

Article Type: Abstracts From: Development and Learning in Organizations, Volume 23, Issue 3

Ibeh K., Carter S., Poff D., Hamill J. Journal of Business Ethics, Nov (II) 2008 Vol. 83 No. 1, Start page: 65, No. of pages: 19

Purpose – Examines how well represented are women in graduate level programmes, how widespread are women-focused programmes/executive education courses and the provision of women-focused scholarships and fellowships, and how prevalent are women-centred external affiliations, events and networking opportunities at the world’s top business schools. Design/methodology/approach – Summarizes the literature relating to women in graduate business programmes. Uses data collected from a key word search of the web sites of 100 top-rated business schools from 16 countries focusing on the web pages of graduate-level programmes offered by these schools including MBAs, Executive MBAs, and Master’s degrees in business disciplines such as Management, Marketing, Finance and Accounting. Data were analysed using meaning-oriented content analysis. Findings – Reports, inter alia, that female graduate students averaged 30 percent in the sample business schools;only 10 percent of these schools have a specialist centre for developing women business leaders, and only one-third offered women-focused programmes/executive education courses. A higher percentage, however, offered fellowships,scholarships or bursaries to prospective female students and reported being affiliated to pro-women external organizations and networks that facilitate career-promoting on-campus events and activities. Research limitations/implications – Very briefly mentions limitations and suggestions for future research. Practical implications – Offers some practical suggestions for increasing women’s uptake of business school training. Originality/value – Provides “pioneering research insight”into the extent to which the world’s top business schools promote female studentship and career advancement. ISSN: 0167-4544 Reference: 38AD060 DOI:10.1007/s10551-007-9653-4

Keywords: Business schools, Business studies, Career development, Management development, Women