Women at Exeter Business School: Q&A

Globally, 60% of graduates are female. Despite this, in the upper echelons of the business world, and the world of business education, the proportion is sadly much lower. However, this is not universally the case. There are schools out there which are redressing the gender imbalance and helping women to reach leadership positions.

Among these is Exeter Business School – part of the University of Exeter in the UK. Exeter Business School has the second highest proportion of female candidates in the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report (the world’s top 200 business schools according to MBA employers), at 64%.

Professor Nicolas Forsans, director of the school’s One Planet MBA programs, explains why the school can post such amazing figures when it comes to the representation of women.

1. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of women enrolled on Exeter Business School – why do you think this is?

The increase in the proportion of female MBA students at Exeter has been the direct result of the change in emphasis in our MBA program. Our One Planet MBA offers a different perspective on business. Environmental, financial and social changes are challenging traditional business models and we need a new generation of managers and leaders who are capable of developing more sustainable business approaches. We attract applicants who have an interest in building a better and more equitable society. This approach seems to appeal more to female managers, unlike that of other MBAs.

2. Why do you think the Exeter MBA program boasts such a high proportion of female MBA students?

According to our survey of this year’s MBA female participants, it seems that a desire to make a difference to business and to stand out from the crowd are the two main factors motivating women to opt to study our MBA program. Over half of those questioned expressed a desire to use the qualification to implement more sustainable business methods in their own companies and countries or to move into the development of social enterprise. Nearly a third stated that they believed the program’s focus on sustainability would ‘broaden their business vision’ and also make them more marketable. When asked why they believed the course had a comparatively high percentage of women, several students commented that, when it comes to business, women might be more inclined to risk, drawn to innovation, and open to experimenting by taking a more unorthodox program. A number of MBA students also commented on the attractiveness of the environment, the quality of our MBA facilities and the flexibility we offer at Exeter Business School.

3. Women are typically underrepresented at business schools and in the boardroom – what efforts are being made at Exeter to combat this?

We do not explicitly target female students to increase representation. However, I do think Exeter Business School offers the environment, facilities and the flexibility that attracts a more diverse student population. In relation to the MBA specifically, for example, where we are recruiting more mature students, it is likely that female applicants will have existing family commitments. We can provide MBA students with family accommodation, help with the schooling of children and we can provide a very safe campus environment. We have also changed the structure and timing of our MBA program which enables students to potentially return home at Christmas and Easter, and even work back in their home countries during the summer on their final projects. We have introduced some balance and flexibility into our programs, which we feel does appeal to mature female applicants.

4. Is prejudice still ingrained in the business world? Is any support given to female MBA students to help them tackle this?

The University has a Gender Equality Society and a dedicated officer as part of the Student Guild. They are very active, with regular discussion groups and events. Within our work and advice on employability we provide resources, contacts and advice on business opportunities for women.  On our MBA specifically, we launched an initiative called WISE (Women in Sustainable Enterprise) to showcase examples of successful women in business and hosted a group of senior female managers from Lloyds Bank who presented on the opportunities for women in financial services. We also consciously bring in successful female managers and entrepreneurs to contribute to MBA teaching, from companies such as Proctor & Gamble, 3M, Interface and the Cooperative Group. Our students undertake consulting projects for companies, and these recently included a successful project for the Cooperative Group advising on how the gender balance could be improved in their organization.