COURSE NUMBER: MBA292T.1
This course is cross-listed
with the EWMBA Program.
COURSE TITLE: The Business Case for Investing in Women
UNITS OF CREDIT: 2
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.