Faculty & Research
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- SEP 2018
- Working Paper
The Impact of Penalties for Wrong Answers on the Gender Gap in Test Scores
Multiple-choice questions on standardized tests are widely seen as objective measures of student ability, but the common practice of assessing penalties for wrong answers may generate gender bias. This study documents the impact of a policy change that removed penalties for wrong answers on the national college entry exam in Chile. This simple change reduced the gender gap in test performance by 9 percent.
- SEP 2018
- Working Paper
The Impact of Penalties for Wrong Answers on the Gender Gap in Test Scores
Multiple-choice questions on standardized tests are widely seen as objective measures of student ability, but the common practice of assessing penalties for wrong answers may generate gender bias. This study documents the impact of a policy change that removed penalties for wrong answers on the national college entry exam in Chile. This simple change reduced the gender gap in test performance by 9 percent.
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- JUN 2018
- Case
Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: The Power of Writing to Launch and Sustain a Movement
In 2018, New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof, and his wife, former Times writer Sheryl WuDunn (HBS '86), who worked in finance, were planning for their next book. The couple's earlier books had given rise to social movements around gender equity and poverty issues. They hoped the next book would be equally powerful. What should the book focus on? What additional content should they create to make sure their writing had an impact?
- JUN 2018
- Case
Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: The Power of Writing to Launch and Sustain a Movement
In 2018, New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof, and his wife, former Times writer Sheryl WuDunn (HBS '86), who worked in finance, were planning for their next book. The couple's earlier books had given rise to social movements around gender equity and poverty issues. They hoped the next book would be equally powerful. What should the book focus on? What additional content should they create to make sure their writing had an impact?
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- Aug 2018
- Article
Women Heart Patients Have Better Survival Odds with Women Doctors
Women having a heart attack are less likely to die if their doctor is also female, according to a new study by Laura Huang and colleagues. How much less likely? When treated for a heart attack by men, the risk for women goes up 1.5 percent. That means roughly one in 66 women has a better chance of leaving the hospital alive if their doctor is also a woman.
- Aug 2018
- Article
Women Heart Patients Have Better Survival Odds with Women Doctors
Women having a heart attack are less likely to die if their doctor is also female, according to a new study by Laura Huang and colleagues. How much less likely? When treated for a heart attack by men, the risk for women goes up 1.5 percent. That means roughly one in 66 women has a better chance of leaving the hospital alive if their doctor is also a woman.
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- JUL-AUG 2018
- Article
The Other Diversity Dividend
Researchers have struggled to establish a causal relationship between diversity and financial performance—especially at large companies, where decision rights and incentives can be murky, and the effects of any given choice can be tough to pin down. So the authors chose a “lab rat” with fewer barriers to understanding—the venture capital industry. VC firms are fairly flat: Every investor is a decision maker, and choices have clear business consequences. Using publicly available information, researchers can see how similar or different decision makers are and compare decision quality on the basis of investments’ performance. After examining tens of thousands of VC investments, Gompers has found that diversity significantly improves financial performance on measures such as profitable investments at the individual portfolio-company level and overall fund returns. And even though associating with similar people can have social benefits for those people, it can lead investors and firms to leave a lot of money on the table. In this article Gompers and Kovvali describe the research and provide recommendations for reaping the business benefits of diversity.
- JUL-AUG 2018
- Article
The Other Diversity Dividend
Researchers have struggled to establish a causal relationship between diversity and financial performance—especially at large companies, where decision rights and incentives can be murky, and the effects of any given choice can be tough to pin down. So the authors chose a “lab rat” with fewer barriers to understanding—the venture capital industry. VC firms are fairly flat: Every investor is a decision maker, and choices have clear business consequences. Using publicly available information, researchers can see how similar or different decision makers are and compare decision quality on the basis of investments’ performance. After examining tens of thousands of VC investments, Gompers has found that diversity significantly improves financial performance on measures such as profitable investments at the individual portfolio-company level and overall fund returns. And even though associating with similar people can have social benefits for those people, it can lead investors and firms to leave a lot of money on the table. In this article Gompers and Kovvali describe the research and provide recommendations for reaping the business benefits of diversity.
Life & Leadership After HBS
Life & Leadership After HBS is a longitudinal study of the post-MBA paths of Harvard Business School alumni. Study findings have been published in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Poets & Quants, and covered in other print, digital, and broadcast media outlets. Life & Leadership examines the role played by race and gender in the life and career outcomes and experiences of alumni.
- May 2015
Findings
- 04 Jun 2018
- HBS After Hours Podcast
The #MeToo Movement and Its Impact on Business
- 07 Mar 2018
- Harvard Business Review
Women Entrepreneurs Are More Likely to Get Funding If They Emphasize Their Social Mission
- 13 Feb 2018
- HBS Newsroom
Black Business Leaders Series
Faculty
In the News
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- 24 Oct 2018
- Wall Street Journal
For Women, the Corporate Ladder Is a Battle of Attrition
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- 23 Oct 2018
- Boston Globe
Why women fall into the negative feedback trap
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- 09 Oct 2018
- Harvard Business Review
We Deserve Better Than “Attagirl”
- 24 Oct 2018
- Wall Street Journal
For Women, the Corporate Ladder Is a Battle of Attrition
- 23 Oct 2018
- Boston Globe
Why women fall into the negative feedback trap
- 09 Oct 2018
- Harvard Business Review
We Deserve Better Than “Attagirl”
Symposia
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2019 Gender and Work Symposium: The Courage of our Convictions
The Gender Initiative will host the 7th annual Gender and Work Symposium between April 4th-5th, 2019 at Harvard Business School.
Featured Video
- 27 APR 2018
