UCLA Anderson MBA students conduct Applied Management Research projects in lieu of a thesis. The nation’s first business school field study program, AMR partners students with top organizations to solve a key strategic problem. The Center for Global Management sponsored one UCLA Anderson Class of 2018 team to work the International Labour Organization, which brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member states to set labor standards, develop policies and devise programs promoting decent work for all women and men. The project focused specifically on engaging leaders in the business community through a new ILO publication on women in business and management.
UCLA Anderson Class of 2018 AMR students make their final presentations on March 9.
By Katie Donovan (’18), Anna Goldberg (’18), Jessica Lin (’18), David Poli (’18) and Jennifer Yoohanna (’18)
Over the past four months, our team of five full-time MBA students has had the privilege of working with the International Labour Organization Bureau of Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP). Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the ILO-ACT/EMP is a specialized unit of the United Nations (UN) that supports employers’ organizations (EOs), such as chambers of commerce and industry associations, to inform their members on topics related to job creation and employee well-being.
In 2019, the ILO-ACT/EMP will publish a new global report focusing on Women in Business and Management (WIBM) and our team worked closely with our client counterpart, Anderson alumna Jae-hee Chang (Ph.D. ’08), to research and ultimately make recommendations on how to increase business leaders' engagement with this new publication.
Given the global purview of the ILO-ACT/EMP, we decided to conduct our primary research in two countries in the Latin America/Caribbean region with very different conditions for gender diversity in management roles: Chile and Jamaica. We selected these countries based on client recommendations, our team’s research and our team’s geographic proximity to the Latin America/Caribbean region. The strength of the UCLA Anderson alumni network in Chile factored into our decision to conduct research there.
December 10–19, 2017: Santiago, Chile
Anna, Jennifer and Katie traveled to Chile to conduct interviews with various leaders and representatives from employer organizations. In total, the team conducted 31 interviews over seven business days, including interviews with 28 business leaders and three leaders in employer organizations. Our interviews entailed conversations with 19 UCLA Anderson alumni who are leading companies in a wide range of industries such as energy, financial services, travel/hospitality, real estate, retail, telecommunications and transportation. It was incredible to see the strength of the Anderson network in Chile, and we enjoyed hearing their memories of their own AMR experiences.
Our interviews provided us with rich insights into business leaders’ top priorities, how they stay informed on current trends in business and management, and examples of programs that companies are undertaking to increase the representation of women in management roles. For example, most of the leaders we interviewed preferred digested content in the form of executive summaries and briefs, or articles published in sources they follow on a regular basis. One CEO shared his appreciation for information that is “grounded in very deep research and distills in into applicable lessons and frameworks that any leader can apply.” These insights have been essential for our team as we consider how the ILO-ACT/EMP can reach more business leaders with their research.
January 20–27, 2018: Kingston, Jamaica
David and Jessica traveled to Kingston, Jamaica, to conduct the same type of interviews that proved so useful in Chile. Over five business days, the team conducted 22 interviews with 19 business leaders, two researchers and one leader in the employer organization.
The trip was especially helpful in providing insights to the unique situation in Jamaica that contributed to the country’s status of having the highest percentage of women in business and management globally, as revealed in the ILO-ACT/EMP 2015 WIBM report. In addition to gathering data about business priorities and preferred information resources, we learned about gender stereotypes and other cultural elements that may have played a part in increasing the number of women enrolling in colleges and becoming managers in businesses. Our meeting with the president of the Jamaica Employers’ Federation revealed how ILO reports were utilized once they were distributed.
The visit to Jamaica was critical for understanding the differences in the cultures as well as in the needs of the EOs that exist between Jamaica and Chile. During many interviews, the team heard that men lack good role models and get left behind by the education system. During one factory tour, the team noticed that there were more men employed than women, which had not been the case in the majority of the companies interviewed. The business owner explained that he made it a point to hire young men in order to provide mentorship and encourage them to pursue higher education.
Our team continued to analyze the data and synthesize our key findings in anticipation of our final AMR presentation. We are excited for the opportunity to share our findings with Dr. Chang and the ILO-ACT/EMP.
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Posted by: Susan George | 03/08/2018 at 01:48 AM