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Gender Initiative

Our latest research on women in business.

The INSEAD Gender Initiative integrates research, business and pedagogy to engage the full potential of both women and men. 

Its community of gender researchers conduct cutting-edge research on the experiences and impact of women in business and society. The initiative builds relationships with organisations to enhance their commitment to gender balance and their ability to fulfil this goal. It further strives to create a pipeline of future business leaders who are passionate and equipped to drive gender balance within their existing and future organisations. 

Its mission is to create and disseminate knowledge that advances women leaders and optimises their contributions within and beyond their organisations. The Gender Initiative strives to engage both men and women in this effort, inspiring all to take action.

Our latest research on women in business.

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Career

Why Not Enough Women Are Senior Leaders

A. Roulet, A. Lawson

True parity in the workplace is still a distant goal. INSEAD faculty outline why women aren’t advancing and the role gender stereotypes play.

Responsibility

Bringing DEI into the Core of Our Institutions

M. Akinola, Z. Kinias, M. Norton, B. Kessler

Implementing DEI concepts effectively in business-school classrooms requires support from both institutions and the wider community.

Responsibility

The Impact of Investor Gender on Female Founders

K. Snellman, I. Solal

Female-led start-ups backed only by female venture capitalists have a harder time raising follow-on capital.

Economics & Finance

How the Daily Commute Affects the Gender Wage Gap

A. Roulet, T. Le Barbanchon, R. Barthelot

Women’s aversion for commuting motivates them to look for closer and not-so-well paid jobs compared to men.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Enabling Productive Thinking to Develop Gender Balance

Zoe Kinias

Subtle mental shifts can increase people’s responsiveness to the gender gap, and their commitment to doing something about it.

Responsibility

Integrating Diversity Into Business Education

Z. Kinias, M. Akinola, A. Carter, M. Norton, K. Phillips

Conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion can be uncomfortable. But business school classrooms need to embrace them nonetheless.

Leadership & Organisations

Building Gender Balance Against the Odds

B Kessler, C Cortland, Z Kinias

To enable women’s advancement where it’s needed most, individual, interpersonal and institutional changes are required.

Leadership & Organisations

What Makes for Inclusive Working Cultures?

B. Kessler, C. Cortland, Z. Kinias, E. Sherman

Interventions designed to increase women’s cultural fit can also create a better working environment for everyone.

Economics & Finance

Creating More Economic Equality for Women

B Kessler, C Cortland, Z Kinias

How to address resource-based gender gaps across a wide variety of contexts.

Leadership & Organisations

Freeing Women – and Men – From Gender Stereotypes

B. Kessler, C. Cortland & Z. Kinias

Research from INSEAD’s 2nd annual Women at Work conference offers practical solutions for establishing gender-balanced workplace norms.

Entrepreneurship

Women Are Risk-Takers, Too: Busting Gender Myths in the Start-up Space

C. Lin, D. Gurcu

A tissue of stereotypes and pseudo-science forms the “rational” basis for gender bias in entrepreneurship.
3 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Promoting Gender Balance Is Everyone's Business

Z. Kinias, J. Petriglieri

Progressive companies are moving from awareness to action, and systemic challenges must be overcome.
1 comment

Career

What Women on the Board Need to Know

Annet Aris

Three INSEAD alumnae share their wisdom as board directors.

Leadership & Organisations

Building Gender Balance Through Behavioural Design

Z. Kinias, C. Cortland

What can organisations do when changing mindsets isn’t enough?
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How These Leading CEOs Are Tackling Gender Inequality

Persistently setting new norms helps organisations battle stubborn gender imbalances.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Social Support Sets Women Up for Success at Work

Zoe Kinias & Clarissa Cortland

Organisations are investing heavily to level the playing field for professional women, but they often lack a systematic approach.

Leadership & Organisations

Gender Balance: Moving From Awareness to Action

B Kessler, C Cortland, Z Kinias

A clear-eyed, nuanced organisational perspective can strengthen employee engagement and galvanise change.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Three Ways to Build Resilience Against Gender Bias

B. Kessler, C. Cortland, Z. Kinias

Simple, low-cost psychological interventions can be part of an organisational toolkit for enabling gender balance.

Career

How to Get More Women to Work in Tech

Lucia Del Carpio & Maria Guadalupe

Role models and reassurance about potential success can impact women’s career decisions.
2 comments

Entrepreneurship

Having a Social Mission Benefits Women Entrepreneurs

Matthew Lee & Laura Huang

Highlighting a venture’s social impact can help female entrepreneurs overcome gender bias.

Leadership & Organisations

The Truth About Gender Stereotypes

B Kessler, C Cortland, Z Kinias

Unraveling popular notions about gender differences in organisations.

Leadership & Organisations

Tailored Approaches Needed for Gender Balance

Vinika D. Rao & V. Paddy Padmanabhan

Greater male involvement and tailored programmes are emerging as sources of hope in tackling gender inequality in Asia.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Promoting Gender Balance Wisely

B. Kessler, C. Cortland & Z. Kinias

Researchers are identifying powerful, yet sometimes nuanced interventions that can improve outcomes for women and the businesses and societies they serve.

Leadership & Organisations

The Slow and Steady Progress Towards Gender-Balanced Boards

Sadia Khan

In conservative societies, awareness and discussion of gender diversity issues pave the way for progress.
3 comments

Entrepreneurship

Why Many Women Social Entrepreneurs Avoid Commercial Models

M. Lee, S. Dimitriadis, L. Ramarajan, J. Battilana

The presence of women business owners in a community encourages female social entrepreneurs to pursue hybrid ventures.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

The Role of Language in the Gender Gap

Our use of language reflects and influences perceptions of gender roles.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

How Boards Will Look in Ten Years

Stanislav Shekshnia & Veronika Zagieva

More women and a wider array of professionals are likely to fill future boards, while technology will play a bigger role in their work.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Male Professors Can (and Should) Promote Gender Balance

Henning Piezunka

Male faculty can become powerful gender equality advocates in the classroom.

Career

Why “Believe in Yourself” Is Bad Advice for Women

In the workplace, women can capitalise on self-confidence only when they exhibit “feminine” behaviours as well.

Leadership & Organisations

Put Women in Charge of Uber

Putting women on boards and in executive positions could be the quick fix that sexist Silicon Valley needs.

Leadership & Organisations

Gender Bending Can Challenge Our Biases

Would you think differently about Donald Trump if he were a woman?

Entrepreneurship

Tackling the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurship

Sarah Kaplan

The right combination of message and methods would help level the playing field.
1 comment

Career

Stop Blaming Women for Gender Inequality

It’s hard to “lean in” when you feel you’re being pushed out.

Leadership & Organisations

Self-Reflecting to Capitalise on Diversity

Instilling a grounded and positive sense of self in employees improves performance and ameliorates hidden bias.

Strategy

Three Steps to Creating a Diverse Organisation

The path to successful diversification requires belief, courage and consistency.
3 comments

Family Business

When Gender Inequality Controls Whole Organisations

When cultural traditions and interpersonal relationships coincide, businesses start acting in irrational ways.

Leadership & Organisations

Are Women’s Leadership Assumptions Holding Them Back?

There has been a lot of discussion about the stereotypes contributing to the lack of women in the c-suite. But one of the biggest obstacles could be their own assumptions on what path they’re supposed to take.
2 comments

Career

How Women and Men Internalise the Glass Ceiling

Received ideas about leadership can provoke a career-killing identity crisis in women attempting to climb the ladder.

Leadership & Organisations

Shattering the Glass Labyrinth of Female Leadership

Leadership development programmes play an important role in forging an equal opportunity path through the complex business world to the C-Suite.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

What’s Keeping Women From the Corporate Heights?

Why women find it so difficult to access top jobs and why the change takes so long.
6 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Why do Corporate Boards Need more Women?

More women in the boardroom sounds fair, but will it make a difference?
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Are Companies Ready for the Female Talent Explosion?

Claudia Zeisberger

Demographic dividends are set to dwindle as the size of working age populations shrinks. Further female empowerment is needed for companies to plug the impending talent shortfalls.
1 comment