BizEd

NovDec2007

Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/57872

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 12 of 83

WHILE WOMEN ARE RELUCTANT TO CLAIM THEY FACE MORE CHALLENGES THAN MEN, TOO FEW WOMEN PROGRESS TO TOP CORPORATE POSITIONS. corporate positions, says Susan Vin- nicombe, the Centre's director. This is partly due to the fact that women don't specifically behave in a way that "manages impressions," she says, and partly due to the "macho model of success used in many organizations." She adds, "Not to address that would be denying the reality that exists at the senior management level in most organizations today. It's not about a deficiency model—it's about helping women MBAs look at the differences in how men and women progress in management." HBS Program Reaches Out to Undergrads worked with the Forté Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing the number of women in MBA programs, to find ways to reach more women applicants. Its efforts have paid off: In Darden's incoming class of 2009, 31 percent are women, compared to 21 percent in last year's class. Administrators hope the "critical mass" of women already enrolled in school will lead to more women applying to Darden in the coming years. n Last year, the Cranfield School of Management in the U.K. launched two Aurora-Cranfield MBA Scholarships for Women. One covers tuition for the full-time MBA, and the other covers tuition for the two-year EMBA. The scholarship is sponsored by the Aurora Network, a group for professional women. Cranfield's International Centre for Women Business Leaders also leads an annual summer networking con- ference for women MBAs. While women are reluctant to claim they face more challenges than men, too few women progress to top Harvard Business School in Boston, Mas- sachusetts, has unveiled HBS 2+2, a deferred MBA admissions program designed for students who typically might not consider business educa- tion. The program gives undergrad- uates a guaranteed place in a future Harvard Business School MBA class, contingent upon their graduation from college and completion of two Grenoble Embraces Rugby In the U.S., a number of business schools have taught principles of management at NASCAR tracks or golf courses. In France, the Grenoble Ecole de Management is capitalizing on Europeans' obsession with rugby to teach managerial practices through the lessons of sports. This fall, the school signed a partnership with the Grenoble Rugby Club, which will participate in the creation and content of marketing and sports programs at the school. Rugby professionals will present Grenoble students with a series of case studies for which the students will develop business plans and strategies. The school and the club also will participate in each oth- ers' conferences, boards of admissions, sports events, and internships. Rugby is also the topic of a recent book, Le management à l'école du rugby, published by Grenoble's François Leccia and Loïck Roche. The book, co-authored by rugby coach Jacques Delmas, examines the parallels between the worlds of sports and business. The authors argue that in business, as in rugby, a suc- cessful organization requires both individual effort and team spirit. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 11 years of approved work experience. HBS will reach out to high- achieving college juniors studying science, engineering, healthcare, gov- ernment, and public service, among other disciplines. Once students are admitted to the 2+2 program, the school will help them find jobs for the two years between college gradu- ation and full-time matriculation at HBS. As many as 100 organiza- tions—including Google, Teach for America, The Clorox Company, and McKinsey & Company—are expect- ed to serve as recruiting partners to facilitate the job search process. During their two-year work expe- riences, 2+2 students will participate in on-campus summer academic pro- grams that will expose them to HBS classes and allow them to meet class- mates. They also will have a dedi- cated career coach and access to stra- tegic career coaching advice through an online self-assessment tool. HBS anticipates that the 2+2 Program will grow to about 5 percent to 10 per- cent of the incoming Harvard MBA class over the next several years. DON FARRALL/GETTY IMAGES

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of BizEd - NovDec2007