Rapaccioli: Women leaders a benefit in modern business

Faculty | Oct 27, 2015 | Gabelli School of Business

Women in the workplace suffer from a “second-generation gender bias” where company cultures hold back women from leadership roles, said Gabelli School of Business Dean Donna Rapaccioli in an article written for the Graduate Management Admission Council.

“In the United States, we are fortunate that women are earning undergraduate and graduate degrees at unprecedented rates, providing the basis for a natural evolution in the workplace,” Rapaccioli wrote. “But the pace of change is too slow.”

The dean, who heads the now-unified graduate and undergraduate business schools at Fordham University, cited Fortune 500 statistics, an Equilar study and research from Fordham professors that all show a dearth of women in top leadership roles in the country’s largest companies.

Rapaccioli then pointed to more research showing that companies with women leaders outperform other companies. The leadership style of women, she said, helps in the modern business environment.

“Female leadership is creative. It is energetic and empathetic. Its form of problem-solving thrives on discussion and weaves in collaboration,” Rapaccioli wrote. “In today’s complex changing world, that is just what is needed.”

Read the full article here.