Business schools are heading towards gender parity for MBA enrolled students. According to the Forfour Foundation, nonprofits, nonprofits, focus on increasing the number of women in leadership through access to business education. Eight of the 61 member schools reached gender balance among full-time MBA students in 2024. Women now account for 42% of MBA students, starting from 28% a decade ago.
But what does business school do to help women after they graduate? The networking opportunities offered by the Alumni Association are an important part of the MBA’s offering. From educational seminars and panel discussions to hiking, sporting events, dinner, happy hours and volunteer days, these events have evolved to meet a variety of needs.
However, a recent research paper published in the Harvard Business Review and the Academy of Management Journal, “How Women Building High Status Networks Published in the Harvard Business Review and the Academy,” shows that women’s networking needs differ from men’s He claimed that there are many.
Author – Carla Rua-Gomez of Skema Business School in France, Gianluca Carnabuci of ESMT Berlin, and Martin Gooossen of Old Dominion University in the US, have traditional networking methods such as gaining “face time” with senior leaders. , often found to be a favorite. Men are due to gender bias in their perception of competence and assertiveness.
Researchers found that women benefit more from third-party support. The survey concluded with the recommendation that the organization would establish a sponsored program for “Women’s Triplets.” The chain connecting juniors, sponsors and senior women will increase access to a higher level of network.
“We are a great place to go,” said Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean at Oxford University’s Said Business School. MBA.
“In contrast, I noticed that men tend to be connected in a wider network, which may mean that they are not that deeper, but you can be sure you are “When you are in the transition period and want to choose directions, the width of your connection points can be an advantage,” she adds.
Elissa Sunstar, CEO of the Forfour Foundation, said that business school classmates are often the source of networks where gender equality exists in MBA programs, so women can create a wide range of networks across the gender line. He says it is likely to build and is likely to be a supportive and tight circle. woman.
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“But I also realized that the term ‘networking’ can be uncomfortable for female MBA alumni,” Sangster says. “They want to connect, but there’s no pressure to “networking” in the traditional sense. ”
Traditional “old man” style networking often involves golf after work or other activities that are not attractive to women. “Women need a new style of networking, which is more organic and at different timings, so they can resort to other support mechanisms to get involved.”
At the University of California and the Haas Business School at Berkeley, the Women’s Leadership Alumni (WILA) organization offers small coffee, lunch and dinner events to its members. “We are committed to providing a comprehensive range of corporate developments,” said Abha Bhagat, Senior Corporate Development Integrated Lead, co-president of Cisco and Wila.
“While virtual events have high gender attendance, we have found that women in particular appreciate the flexibility to balance different commitments,” Bhagat says. “The online format appears to create a more level playing field for participation than in-person events.”
Wila also offers practical support, including targeted programming, addressing specific stages of working life, such as childcare during events and returning from career breaks.
NYU STERN MBA ALUMNA SUSAN JUREVICS is looking to test the network’s strengths to explore new opportunities after resigning from its role as Audible’s Chief Brand Officer at the end of 2024. Perhaps more trade exchanges, but women can hesitate to self-promotion or ask specifically what they need,” she says.
In November, New York University School of Business launched the Stern Women’s Forum, a multi-generational community of female alumni, allowing them to support each other at various stages of their careers. But Jurevics, who has lived and worked all over the world, warns against overlooking nuances beyond diverse global settings. The individualistic nature of Western cultures can amplify networking gender differences compared to other cultures, such as Asian countries where harmony and collectivism may become more prominent, for example. .
“Alumni organizations need to continue to understand cultural impacts in order to develop effective and inclusive networking,” said Jurevics, a member of the NYU Stern Executive Committee. “They will also benefit from continuing to interact with women at different regions, ages, life or career stages, understanding their needs and ambitions and developing initiatives that address them. ”
At IESE in Barcelona, projects designed to support networking among women include the Women Executive Club, Women’s Leadership Initiatives and Women’s Business Conferences.
“Trapping more women into the MBA program and recruiting more women faculty will result in more women alumni in the medium term and specific events or activities to promote networking among women reduces the need to create something,” says Maria Diaz Morera. Chairman of the IESE Alumni Association. “But beyond that, alumni organizations can look at more events, including alumni partners and families, creating wider networking opportunities among women.”
