Gender

• Mar - Apr 2018
• Article

Beating the Odds

By: Laura Morgan Roberts , Anthony Mayo , Robin Ely , and David Thomas

This spring marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the African-American Student Union at Harvard Business School, and in preparation for the commemoration we studied the careers of the approximately 2,300 alumni of African descent who have graduated from HBS since its founding, in 1908. We analyzed the career paths of the 67 of them who have attained the position of chair, CEO, or other C-level executive in a corporation or senior managing director or partner in a professional services firm, and we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 of those 67. How did these women beat the odds?

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• Apr 2018
• Article

Sexual Harassment: What Employers Should Do Now

By: Dina Gerdeman

The recent rash of high-profile complaints in the news is undoubtedly sending shivers down the spines of business executives nationwide, as many come to grips with the realization that their own companies are not doing enough to stop the inappropriate behavior that can lead to an awkward office environment, lawsuits, and reputation damage. But how exactly can companies do better? Colleen Ammerman, along with three HBS faculty members, provided some practical advice executives can follow to prevent sexual harassment from creeping into the workday.

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• May - Jun 2018
• Article

What Most People Get Wrong About Men and Women

By: Catherine H. Tinsley and Robin Ely

The conversation about the treatment of women in the workplace has reached a crescendo of late, and senior leaders—men as well as women—are increasingly vocal about a commitment to gender parity. That’s all well and good, but there’s an important catch. Emphasizing sex differences runs the risk of making them seem natural and inevitable. As anecdotes that align with stereotypes are told and retold, without addressing why and when stereotypical behaviors appear, sex differences are exaggerated and take on a determinative quality. Well-meaning but largely ineffectual interventions then focus on “fixing” women or accommodating them rather than on changing the circumstances that gave rise to different behaviors in the first place.

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• 2018

Advancing African American Business Leadership

The 50th anniversary of the founding of the African American Student Union (AASU) in 2018 is a key inflection point in our history. With this milestone, HBS celebrates the vibrant and important role that African Americans have played in shaping our institution, the business world, and society at large.

More on the AASU