Manhattan Review InFocus BLOG

Issues of gender are discussed during the studies in relation to the experience of women in the workforce; notably, the differing role of networks for men and women has been an interesting topic of discussion in the program. They found that women tend to network more naturally across organizations and to have stronger contacts within their group of peers.  Men, on the other hand, build stronger networks upward, which leads to better opportunities to promotion.  Women, therefore, are at a noticeable disadvantage in terms of networking upwards within their organizations.

Another instance of behavioral differences between men and women that Buchel discusses happens during the job application process.  When looking at a job description, women tend to become discouraged by the requirements they feel they are not qualified for, usually opting not to apply at all. However, men on average who are faced with the same situation tend to apply anyway, with a more optimistic and less hesitant attitude.  These discussions of behavioral trends help the women to recognize their own tendencies and disadvantages, allowing them to be conscious of and improve in these areas.

When asked why Europe has lagged behind the US in terms of business programs for women, Buchel states that the issue of women in management hasn’t been on the forefront of corporate attention in Europe.  The scarce number of women in executive positions has limited the viable market for such programs.  However, these programs have been picking up more and more in Europe, especially since Scandinavian countries have begun to have much stronger female participation in management.  Female representation on the political front, such as Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has also pushed the agenda of female leadership on the forefront in Europe.  The establishment of programs such as Buchel’s has certainly created a unique example of how we can both recognize and promote the leadership of women in the workforce.

In a recent interview with BusinessWeek, Bettina Buchel, director of IMD’s Strategic Leadership for Women program, discusses the experience of women in the executive management work force.  IMD (International Institute for Management and Development), a global business school based in Lausanne, Switzerland, was the first business school in Europe to establish an executive education program geared specifically towards women. The program is part of IMD’s Open Enrollment program. It typically lasts for 4 days. The same program runs twice a year.

 Buchel began the Strategic Leadership for Women program six years ago in 2002 to create an opportunity for women to explore different styles of leadership.  The program focuses on two main areas: leadership and strategy implementation.  It offers a unique environment for women to exchange experiences on situations within the workplace and learn how to promote themselves, all within a setting where they are not self-conscious of being the minority.  300 women have gone through the program, ranging from women in senior positions to women in their first five to ten years out of university.  Buchel emphasizes the importance of this emerging issue of women in management, stating that of the Fortune 1000 companies, less than 50% have women representation in their top management teams.

What kinds of changes do these women implement in the workplace? Women who come out of this program become much more conscious about networking, having been shown a visual representation of how they network. They make efforts and adjustments at improving their upward networking and are also encouraged to come up with new responses to difficult situations in the workplace, having shared accounts of such experiences with each other during the course of the program.

The demand for such programs is heightening in Europe, with new programs being established in different cities, including London. Buchel also directs a program called Orchestrating Winning Performance, which has included more women and has been creating more activities geared towards women.  Although women make up about 10% of traditional programs such as this one, the growing number of participating women is an important indicator of a shift in the agenda of women in management.

A recent study conducted by the GMAC suggests that MBA graduates are largely satisfied with their decision to attain an MBA. The study is based on factors such as increased long-term income and financial stability, connections gained as a result of their MBA, increased confidence, and respect accorded to them after their MBA. The study chooses not to focus on immediate financial rewards as these, though motivating factors in seeking an MBA, are not necessarily representative of overall satisfaction.

The study is based on recipients of full, executive, and part-time MBAs (online and distance MBAs etc. make up only 1% of those surveyed). A majority of those surveyed (58%) were in full-time MBA programs.

Especially interesting are the high satisfaction ratings among MBAs who desired to change or switch careers following their programs. Among these MBA recipients, very high rates of satisfaction are expressed in the areas of post-MBA marketability as well as post-MBA long-term financial stability.

MBAs were also surveyed as to the degree to which they feel satisfied in their skill development as a result of their MBA program. Skills such as strategic thinking and technological skills among others were included in the survey. In terms of skill improvement, it was again evident that those interested in career change were more satisfied. However, those MBAs who pursued the degree with the intention of enhancing their pre-MBA career expressed lower degree of satisfaction in their skill improvement.

This survey did not take into account additional demographic factors (location, ethnicity, nationality and race). Such factors too might have resulted in interesting findings.

The above discussions are based on GMAC Research Report “Satisfied MBAs: Career Switchers and Career Enhancers from Around the World,” written by Sabeen Sheikh & Kara Siegert on 7 June 2007.

Women are in demand in graduate management educational programs of all kinds.

Let us take a look at the 2007 statistics released by the GMAC in reference to gender representation. In part-time MBA programs, women represent 37% of the total. In full-time MBA programs, just 27% of MBA students are women. In EMBA programs, a meager 22% of students are women. Though women represent a larger percentage of the student body in non-MBA management education including undergraduate and master’s programs, it is still the case that in all categories women represent a minority of applicants.

Though overall far fewer women than men pursue Graduate Management Education, numbers of women applicants are on the rise. In 2007, applications from women increased overall. These increases are in large part due to greater recruitment efforts. 56% of full-time MBA and 78% of EMBA programs are actively recruiting among women. Such recruitment seems to have a direct correlation to increases in the volume of women applicants.

Here is part 2 of a chapter from our new book, Negotiation and Decision Making. Our Turbocharge Your Career series has seven more books planned for publication. All of the eight books will be available on Amazon.com and in Barnes and Noble stores across the US. We will also host this class online or in-person at selected locations around the world. Email us at career@manhattanreview.com for more details.

5.1.5 Solving Their Problem

When you are researching, you will have to find out ways to solve the other side’s problem as well as your own.

Those include their values and the outcomes that they are looking for. Also discover some negatives in their business past.

1. All of those bits of information require asking them open-ended questions in the negotiation process. Ask things like “how will this help you” and “tell me more about that”.

Instead of getting an answer and moving on, keep asking to make sure you fully understand. That technique will also create a positive environment and show that you want to listen to their problems and needs.

2. In real life, often times there are no absolute distributive or integrative negotiations. Rather, they are a combination with varying degrees of each type. So you may always be able to find some ways to “enlarge the pie”:

- Gather as much information as possible
- Identify items of value
- Do not become competitive or force compromise. Compromising detracts from both sides
- Focus on the desired outcome for both sides

5.1.6 Let the Other Person Win

Identify Common Issues – Increase communication by showing how you are similar to the other person. It will increase trust and build a relationship

Maintain the Relationship – When something negative comes up, associate it with the terms of the deal and not the other person.

Show how the deal helps them – Be ready to prove that your deal will help their business. Be able to show them and not just tell them.

5.1.7 How to Derive Those Numbers

Many high-ranking business professionals quantify information and develop precise formulas to determine outcomes. If the other side does this, pay attention to the rationale and the formulas they have developed. Know how the other side reached their conclusions. Their method is likely to stay fixed, but the outcomes and numbers are not necessarily going to stay the same because they are more easily changed.

Rules to follow when trying to get at the final numbers:

- Know the guidelines, the goals and who is involved with the deal
- Strive for communication – Ask questions about items you understand
- Question numbers and assumptions – do not accept everything they give you
- Establish your uniqueness – Show why your product is better than the cheaper product and how it will help the other’s bottom line and business overall
- Focus on risks and benefits – Do not threaten or put pressure on the other side, but remind them of the risks of going with a competitor tactfully and through questioning rather than direct statements

5.1.8 Achieving Results

Several methods help to achieve the results you desire AND maintain or improve your relationship with the other party.

Find Objective Methods of Determining the Benefits of Solutions.
This will allow both parties to trust and value the terms to be agreed upon.

Concentrate on What You Want to Achieve, Not Where You Stand on an Issue.
This is a means of opening your mind to other options and modes of achievement. These would be less likely to automatically preclude the success of the other party.

Focus on Issues, Not Personality.
Avoid personal attacks. Your interest is in improving a relationship and achieving your desired results, not frustrating or offending the other party.