| How can Wall Street get itself out of the current | | | | opportunities, leveling the playing field in the workplace, |
| financial crisis? They can start by putting more women | | | | and producing qualified candidates who may be more |
| at the helm. According to the latest research, | | | | likely to identify with businesses' intended consumers. |
| companies with female board members traditionally | | | | Traditionally, the "feminine" traits of emotional |
| outperform those without, and 80 percent of | | | | engagement, altruism, and cooperation have been |
| purchasing decisions in the U.S. are made by women. | | | | perceived as weak and therefore less valuable in the |
| If this is true, why aren't more qualified women attaining | | | | profit-and-loss corporate world. Yet it's these traits |
| business leadership positions? To date, only 15.7 | | | | that, in a struggling economy, are vital to finding and |
| percent of Fortune 500 corporate officers are women. | | | | building relationships with customers. |
| This may be partly due to the dismal enrollment among | | | | Because it pays to draw women to EMBA programs, |
| women in Executive MBA (EMBA) programs. So | | | | many business schools are making themselves more |
| business schools are actively courting women, by | | | | attractive. They're recruiting more female faculty, |
| addressing some of the stumbling blocks that have | | | | featuring more women in advertising materials, offering |
| traditionally kept women from pursuing the degree. | | | | flexibility through online courses, and trying to make |
| The Work/Life Balance | | | | more EMBA scholarships available. |
| The Wall Street Journal reports that the nation's | | | | A Return on Your EMBA Investment |
| EMBA programs are only comprised of 20 percent | | | | There are numerous reasons why it can pay to earn |
| females. EMBA courses generally run full days on | | | | an EMBA, not the least of which is that it can enhance |
| weekends, to accommodate those anxious to | | | | your ability to identify with and court clients. The MBA |
| complete degrees while managing full-time work | | | | credential offers a boost to your confidence and |
| schedules. For many women who see weekends as | | | | credibility with colleagues, which can ensure others that |
| family time, the EMBA is fairly unappealing. | | | | you have the expertise needed to take on more |
| It's a work/life balance that women are increasingly | | | | responsibility. |
| seeking and, perhaps mistakenly, believing that EMBA | | | | Not to mention the salary boost. The Executive MBA |
| programs and the corporate fast track won't offer. | | | | Council says that in 2007, students surveyed reported |
| However, the EMBA may offer more of such a | | | | a 21 percent salary increase after completing their |
| balance than traditional programs, because it can | | | | EMBA, and 43 percent of students received |
| prepare women for career advancement more | | | | promotions while still enrolled in their EMBA programs. |
| quickly, without causing them to lose ground at work. | | | | An EMBA can provide you with numerous valuable |
| Other reasons many women cite for shunning EMBA | | | | tools, including the know-how to assess risk, harvest |
| programs include: difficulty finding money to cover the | | | | innovative ideas, forecast market behavior, and |
| cost of the program, the perception that the glass | | | | effectively market products. Plus, those female |
| ceiling may keep real advancement at bay, a lack of | | | | entrepreneurs looking for investment capital or angel |
| female role models, a lack of encouragement from | | | | funding may likely find that investors are far more |
| peers, family or employers, as well as a lack of | | | | receptive to those backed by an MBA education. |
| confidence in their own math skills. | | | | So while the sacrifice of time and money may at first |
| What Women Have, B-Schools Want | | | | seem overwhelming, EMBA programs are becoming |
| Universally, businesses and business schools alike | | | | more and more accessible and attractive than they've |
| agree that a diverse population of men and women is | | | | ever been, and with the return on investment this |
| extremely valuable. This diversity can enhance fellow | | | | degree provides, now might be just the right time to |
| students' experiences by increasing the pool of skills | | | | look into it. |
| and ideas available, enabling greater networking | | | | |