文章基本信息

标题：MBA Degrees Called Equally Valuable to Men, Women - Brief Article
作者：Robert W. Thompson
期刊名称：HR Magazine
印刷版ISSN：1047-3149
出版年度：2000
卷号：June 2000
出版社：Society for Human Resource Management

MBA Degrees Called Equally Valuable to Men, Women - Brief Article

Robert W. Thompson

Women who received master of business administration (MBA) degrees from 12 top U.S. business schools are just as satisfied with their school experiences and post-MBA careers as are their male counterparts. That's one finding from a study conducted jointly by the University of Michigan Business School, the university's Center for the Education of Women, and Catalyst, a New York-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization. The study found a 95 percent satisfaction rate for both males and females who received MBAs.

However, the results are less rosy when it comes to the number of women pursuing MBAs. According to the researchers, women account for only 30 percent of students at the top-tier business schools. At top-tier law and medical schools, women constitute 44 percent of the enrollees.

Researchers surveyed more than 1,600 male and female MBA recipients to examine their business school environments and career outcomes, and to determine why more women do not pursue MBAs. "Both men and women graduates say their MBA was worth it, and they are living the benefits," explains Sheila Wellington, president of Catalyst. "They report that their employer puts value on their MBA, they are satisfied with the job opportunities in their industries and both men (84 percent) and women (81 percent) generally see themselves as having job assignments that provide visibility with senior management."

Asked why more women do not pursue MBAs, 56 percent of the women surveyed cited a lack of female role models. Other barriers mentioned by the women were incompatibility of business careers with work-life balance (47 percent); lack of confidence in math skills (45 percent); and lack of encouragement from employers (42 percent).

To order an executive summary of Women and the MBA: Gateway to Opportunity, visit Catalyst's web site at www.catalystwomen.org. The cost is $90 for the general public or $60 for Catalyst members, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and students.