Although more and more women are taking leading positions in the business world, they are significantly fewer than men among business school students. However, as Kariera writes, the coming academic year may be record-breaking in the number of female compatriots enrolling in MBA programs.
According to the European Commission for Equal Opportunities, in Europe the share of women working as middle managers and holding administrative positions is 30%. In the US - 49%. Here, where the woman has long been "both a horse, and a bull, and a woman, and a man," there are also many of them in management. No one seriously asks anymore whether business is a woman's affair, but when it comes to studying, the fair sex is in a somewhat different situation than men.
Employers have begun to realize that they need the "weaker sex." According to Janet Perell, the first female CEO of the Association of MBAs, ladies are more organized, better at focusing, and have good communication skills. These qualities are very important for working in a world of constantly changing business. Professor Rick Crowley, head of international relations at Lancaster University Management School, says that 30-40 years ago managers worked under a rigid hierarchy, and subordinates unquestioningly did everything they were told. Now business connections are much more complex and branched, and managers have to deal with people who do not directly report to them. Leaders need to persuade and engage employees with ideas and loyalty to their work. And women have indeed been more successful in this. Business is interested in them. But there are still not very many of them in MBA programs.
More Equality Here
According to a study by the University of Michigan/Catalyst, women generally have a negative attitude toward business education. Researchers believe that they are usually attracted to social roles where one can "give." And the roles that MBA programs offer (for example, senior manager) are perceived as too "aggressive" and "selfish." There are other obstacles preventing women from entering business schools: lack of role models, the impossibility of combining a busy work schedule with other tasks and responsibilities, and the incompatibility of study with family life.
The average age of MBA students is 30. "The European tradition of accepting older candidates with extensive work experience also poses a problem," says Matt Symonds, head of QS. "Many women realize that if they spend time and money to get an MBA at age 27-30, and then start a family at 30-32, it will be difficult for them to 'capitalize' on their diploma."
As Ms. Martinelli, former director of admissions at Wharton business school, says, in Europe and the US, women's attitudes toward management education and business careers should be changed: "Probably, you can count the number of female applicants from Europe on the fingers of two hands. The UK is still better in this regard, but in Spain, Italy, or Germany, women do not even think about entering business schools. This indicates that public opinion needs to be changed."
TopMBA.com, the website of QS, which organizes the famous World MBA Tour exhibitions, conducts annual research based on data from 40,000 visitors to the event in various countries around the world. According to them, ladies show great interest in MBA programs in the US (50%) and in emerging market countries such as China (40%) and Turkey (43%). In a number of small countries, women outpace men in their desire to get an MBA: Hungary (52%), Taiwan (63%), and Thailand (58%).
The weaker sex in Western Europe is much less convinced of the need to study for an MBA. The lowest percentage of those interested is in France (15%). Italy (23%), the UK (25%), Spain (27%), and Germany (31%) are also below the world average, which is 33%.
Among business school applicants, they have always been less than a third, but this ratio is changing. "Now they are beginning to believe that an MBA gives them as good a chance as men to achieve leadership positions in an organization," says Quacquarelli. "If they once thought that business schools were exclusive and too competitive, that is no longer the case."
Confidence Is Key
Specialists at the Wharton School of Business have found that studying for an MBA has a somewhat different meaning for women than for men. Business education gives women confidence in their strengths and professional abilities and helps develop communication skills. In addition, it is usually harder for women to establish useful connections and cooperation with partners, and an MBA program is the best way to create useful contacts with alumni.
According to TopMBA.com, the main motivating factor for women entering business schools is the opportunity to improve career prospects. This is more significant to them than a salary increase, a job change, or starting their own business. Finally, an MBA helps a woman gain trust from management and colleagues in the early stages of her career development; otherwise, she is blocked by men or the established network of connections.
Like men, women are more interested in full-time programs. They are generally somewhat younger than men and have less work experience. "This probably indicates a desire to complete their studies and gain significant work experience before having to take on maternal responsibilities," says Quacquarelli.
When it comes to financing their studies, women rely more on scholarships and family savings than on loans, personal savings, or sponsorship from a company. At the same time, the financial barrier for the fair sex is smaller than it seems at first glance, since business schools offer special scholarships for women.
The principle of gender diversity is becoming generally accepted even in countries where actual gender equality is far from being in order. “Partly it is a matter of legislative changes, but many companies go further than the law prescribes,” says Quacquarelli. “The male model of doing business is no longer relevant. Corporate psychology is changing. The next generation of leaders realizes that the ability to understand another person and teamwork are becoming increasingly important.”