Gender

- Aug 2018
- Article
How Women of Color Get to Senior Management

By: Cindy Pace

Women of color are a force in the U.S. economy, projected to make up the majority of all women by 2060. In the future, they are expected to become the majority of the U.S. workforce. Currently, they generate $1 trillion as consumers and $361 billion in revenue as entrepreneurs, launching companies at 4x the rate of all woman-owned businesses. Given these figures, how are women of color so underrepresented in management? Cindy Pace, who presented at the Gender and Work Syposium last Spring, talks to twenty-three women who made it to the top.

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- Aug 2018
- Article
How Women of Color Get to Senior Management

By: Cindy Pace

Women of color are a force in the U.S. economy, projected to make up the majority of all women by 2060. In the future, they are expected to become the majority of the U.S. workforce. Currently, they generate $1 trillion as consumers and $361 billion in revenue as entrepreneurs, launching companies at 4x the rate of all woman-owned businesses. Given these figures, how are women of color so underrepresented in management? Cindy Pace, who presented at the Gender and Work Syposium last Spring, talks to twenty-three women who made it to the top.

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- SEP 2018
- Interview
Celebrating 'The Men and Women of the Corporation' 40 Years Later

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Robin J. Ely

Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s Men and Women of the Corporation, published 41 years ago this year, has inspired and informed a generation of scholars studying gender, status, and power. Robin J. Ely interviews Kanter about the groundbreaking research and why it remain relevant today.

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- SEP 2018
- Interview
Celebrating 'The Men and Women of the Corporation' 40 Years Later

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Robin J. Ely

Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s Men and Women of the Corporation, published 41 years ago this year, has inspired and informed a generation of scholars studying gender, status, and power. Robin J. Ely interviews Kanter about the groundbreaking research and why it remain relevant today.

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- APR 2018
- Presentation
Spheres of Influence: A Portrait of Black MBA Program Alumni

By: Tony Mayo and Laura Morgan Roberts

Fifty years ago, five Harvard Business School students organized to form the African-American Student Union (AASU). AASU advocated for increased representation of black students and faculty at Harvard Business School, as well as curricular and policy changes. The 50th anniversary of AASU’s founding is an important milestone in the history of HBS and an opportune time to reflect and examine the backgrounds, experiences, and leadership impact of black alumni. To that end, a series of research projects were initiated to better understand and learn from the ways in which black alumni careers have unfolded. This report presents some of the initial findings from this multi-year investigation.

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- APR 2018
- Presentation
Spheres of Influence: A Portrait of Black MBA Program Alumni

By: Tony Mayo and Laura Morgan Roberts

Fifty years ago, five Harvard Business School students organized to form the African-American Student Union (AASU). AASU advocated for increased representation of black students and faculty at Harvard Business School, as well as curricular and policy changes. The 50th anniversary of AASU’s founding is an important milestone in the history of HBS and an opportune time to reflect and examine the backgrounds, experiences, and leadership impact of black alumni. To that end, a series of research projects were initiated to better understand and learn from the ways in which black alumni careers have unfolded. This report presents some of the initial findings from this multi-year investigation.

More AASU50
- Article
Pro Basketball Coaches Display Racial Bias When Selecting Lineups

By: Letian Zhang

More than any other American sport, basketball is dominated by African American players. Three-quarters of athletes running up and down the court are black, compared to 23 percent white (with 2 percent Latino and 0.6 percent Asian). When it comes to NBA coaches, however, the exact opposite is true: there are six black head coaches among 30 teams, or just 20 percent of the league. Research by Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Letian Zhang, who studies organizational theory and strategy with a focus on social inequalities and status hierarchies, reveals that whether consciously or not, white coaches and black coaches subtly favor players of their own race. That, in turn, can hurt the league overall.

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- Article
Pro Basketball Coaches Display Racial Bias When Selecting Lineups

By: Letian Zhang

More than any other American sport, basketball is dominated by African American players. Three-quarters of athletes running up and down the court are black, compared to 23 percent white (with 2 percent Latino and 0.6 percent Asian). When it comes to NBA coaches, however, the exact opposite is true: there are six black head coaches among 30 teams, or just 20 percent of the league. Research by Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Letian Zhang, who studies organizational theory and strategy with a focus on social inequalities and status hierarchies, reveals that whether consciously or not, white coaches and black coaches subtly favor players of their own race. That, in turn, can hurt the league overall.

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Gender Initiative

The Gender Initiative supports research, education, and knowledge dissemination to accelerate the advancement of women leaders and promote gender equity in business and society.

More about the Initiative