The percentage of women MBA students on campus at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has been steadily increasing since the first intake of students in the year 2000.
‘Our MBA programme is currently approximately 40% female, which is a most gratifying statistic for us,” said Shireen Chengadu, director of MBA programmes at GIBS. ‘We certainly encourage women to take their careers seriously; the MBA programme essentially grooms the next generation of leaders. As a nation, it is vital that we leverage off the rich talents of all our people if we are to compete with emerging market giants such as India and China.”
According to the Business Women’s Association’s SA Women in Corporate Leadership Census 2006, women made up 16,85% of executive managers, 11,5% of directors and 6,4% of CEOs and board chairs in that year.
‘There is clearly much work to be done in this country,” said Chengadu. ‘As women, we have the expertise to make a significant contribution to the economic competitiveness of South Africa. This is both a business and a national imperative.”
To achieve the deep, long-term cultural changes required to bring women up to executive and board level, Chengadu observed, change is needed in three broad areas: individual, team and organisational. At the individual and company levels there are a number of interventions that will help to support women’s development and progress. These include:
– Mentoring programmes: Research has shown that mentoring improves the promotion prospects for women managers. Dr Judi Marshall of Bath University in the United Kingdom found that, of the 30 women managers she interviewed, 70% were in mentoring relationships. All of them placed great value on the relationship and said that it was an important factor in their career development. The mentors sponsor the women and often nominate them for promotion when they would not normally have been considered for the post.
– Executive coaching:
This is a most effective development and transformation tool that helps to build capacity by developing leadership skills and improving financial and competitive performance. A coach focuses on the person rather than the position and works in the strictest confidence.
– Networking:
Any successful woman will attest to the fact that networking has formed a crucial part of her career development. Connections help women gain exposure to more senior role models and encourage information sharing. They also make a powerful contribution to career development prospects.
– Personal branding:
By working on their personal brand in the same way as advertisers build consumer brands, individuals will stand out from the crowd and showcase their unique selling point. Elements to a successful personal brand include enthusiasm, a clear purpose, careful planning and — guess what? — networking.
– Taking charge:
Again, there is an overlap with personal branding. The plan for one’s career is an integral part of career success. Tools such as GIBS’s online mentoring tool www.neXt.gibs.co.za can help to determine which option is best for taking the next step.
‘Traditional roles have made a tectonic shift in the knowledge economy and women are well placed to take their place in the boardroom. Our MBA programme recognises the contribution that women have to make in building the South African economy,” Chengadu concluded.