COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA292T.1

This course is cross-listed with the FTMBA Program.

COURSE TITLE: The Business Case for Investing in Women

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2 units

INSTRUCTORS: Kellie McElhaney

E-MAIL ADDRESSES: kmack@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: bCourses

PREREQUISITE(S): None

CLASS FORMAT: Mixture of lectures, readings, speakers.

REQUIRED READINGS: Readings will be posted on bCourses.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Mixture of papers, projects and class participation.

CAREER FIELD: This course would be useful for those interested in talent management, strategy, and/or general management.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
This course is directed towards and critical for men and women. It focuses on the business opportunities and solutions that women represent and on how business can continue to be a force for positive change while creating both ROI for the firm and for society.

Women are customers, employees, suppliers, and leaders.  The earning power of women globally is over $20 trillion, about 2x the GDP of China and India combined.  In addition, gender equity has critical business implications such as improved ROI, better stock performance, higher quality decision-making, increased attraction and retention of females as customers and employees, and better social and environmental performance.

Smart companies understand that it does not make good business sense to ignore half of the population, as “women hold up half the sky.” Companies like Goldman Sachs, Unilever, Salesforce, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, and Gap are investing heavily in the global development of women, with a focus on both firm and societal value.

Given the severity of challenges confronting our global society, we need all hands on deck, men and women alike.

This course has three sections:

1. Women in the Global Economy
The unit of analysis in this section will be the globe. We will explore data from sources such as the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, which links gender equity and a country’s GDP; Goldman Sachs’ theory of Womenomics, again linking the economic health of a country to the health of its women; and the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles.

2. Women in Organizations
The unit of analysis in this section will be the business world. We will investigate the data, trends, causes, and opportunities around women in various roles and ranks of the corporation. Included will be Professor McElhaney’s research linking a firm’s financial, social, environmental, and governance performance and women in top ranks; McKinsey’s longitudinal study of the impact of women on business performance; and big businesses’ deep investments in the global development of women.

3. Your Role & Leadership Opportunity
The unit of analysis in this section will be the individual, woman or man. We will explore and develop practical skills, tools, and solutions to help women and men use their authentic voices to lead more effectively. We will review emergent views such as Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and Anne-Marie Slaughter’s Women Can’t Have It All.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Dr. McElhaney is an adjunct professor in the Institute for Business and Social Innovation at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Her research and teaching are in three areas: (1) The economic and business value of investing in women; (2) Global macro trends and business solutions; (3) Strategic corporate sustainability.

She has written a book entitled Just Good Business   The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand (2010)  on her work, as well as given a TED talk on these topics.

Kellie founded the Center for Responsible Business at Haas in 2003, and the Financial Times rated it as number one in the world in 2008.  She launched the successful Haas Socially Responsible Investment Fund in 2008, which is totally student run and outperforming against traditional indices.  Along with two other faculty members, she is developing a new Gender Equality Initiative at Haas.  In 2013 Professor McElhaney was awarded the Earl F. Cheit Outstanding Teaching Award, and in 2013 she received the Founder and Visionary award from Haas.

Kellie keynotes for and consults to global 1000 companies and organizations all over the world in developing integrated investing in women and corporate sustainability strategy.  She also serves on several corporate and non-profit boards.  She earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina, her M.A. from Ohio University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.  Kellie has two incredibly strong-willed and smart teenaged daughters and lives in Oakland.