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Public Management Program

 

Public Management Initiative (PMI)

Women and the Global Economy (2005-6)

The Public Management Initiative was designed to allow GSB students to execute an in-depth exploration of a specific public management problem throughout the year. Through speakers and activities, students are encouraged to develop and challenge their existing notions surrounding that issue. From "Public-Private Partnerships" to "Climate Change: Energy, Economics and Corporate Policy," these topic explorations have resulted in exciting learning opportunities for the students, staff and faculty of the GSB.

As we look forward to the coming year, we have another exciting topic: "Women and the Global Economy" and, we hope, more groundbreaking exploration as in years past. This topic is crucial as the GSB educates future leaders who will "change lives, change organizations, and change the world." GSB students are positioned to make a difference in the companies they build and run, the social enterprises they spearhead, and the contributions they make to the social sector through donations, volunteering, and board leadership. In all of those realms, understanding the rationale for promoting gender equity will enable Stanford MBAs to make a huge contribution.

For instance, a 2004 study by Catalyst[1] revealed that companies with the highest representation of women on their top management teams experienced better financial performance (measured by return on equity and total return to shareholders) than the companies with the lowest representation in the study. Yet many firms have few women at the top: within the Fortunate 500, only 1.5% of companies are lead by women and only 15.7% of corporate officers are women. Companies do have a financial incentive to recruit, retain, and promote women, so what are the lingering barriers?

On the global level, there is strong evidence from the developing world that gender inequalities inhibit overall economic growth and development. Societies that discriminate on the basis of gender generally experience greater poverty, slower economic growth, weaker governance, and a lower living standard for all people. Organizations that promote development through microfinance often target women, which can be the most efficient way of strengthening families and improving the lives of children living in poverty. What are some ways that members of the GSB community be a part of promoting gender equity to help effect the kinds of change we want to see in the world?

Led by Mindy Davidowski and Sarah Stein Greenberg, next year's PMI will tackle these and other tough issues. Students, faculty, staff and alumni who have expertise in this area will be invaluable resources. According to Stein Greenberg, "One of our challenges is to frame these issues in such a way that it is clear how relevant they are no matter what gender you happen to be. We don't want people to think that this is a PMI only for women because in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. As we've begun brainstorming and reaching out to student leaders and organizations, we've been extremely excited to see how many of our classmates are interested in collaborating with us on topics ranging from work/life balance, women in sports and sports management, strengthening women entrepreneurs' access to capital, and many others."

Davidowski commented, "We feel strongly that the GSB's ability to host an inquiry on women and the global economy is yet another reason that we are proud to be part of this community. We know that these issues can be contentious, but we also know that confronting them and tapping into the incredible resources of the GSB in addressing difficult problems will make us better managers and leaders in the future."

For more information on the 2005-2006 PMI "Women and the Global Economy," please contact Mindy Davidowski at davidowski_mindy@gsb.stanford.edu or Sarah Stein Greenberg at greenberg_sarah@gsb.stanford.edu.

[1] Catalyst is the leading research and advisory organization that promotes the advancement of women in business