What can academia learn from London’s business and policy organisations?

A number of key learnings came out of two networking events run by the TRIGGER team designed to engage academia in debate with external organisations to identify how good practice can be introduced. These events were sponsored by the Birkbeck School of Business, Economics and Informatics.

The first event, held at Birkbeck, included leading academics and representatives from some of London’s major policy and business organisations, and was chaired by Professor Colette Henry, Dundalk Institute of Technology, and TRIGGER project board. The panellists included: Professor Henry Etzkowitz, Stanford University; Ms Jeanne Le Roux, JRL People Solutions Ltd; Professor Nick Keep, Executive Dean, School of Science, Lead, Birkbeck Athena SWAN programme; Ms Siobhan Martin, UK Board Member and HR Director, Mercer; Ms Jo Beill, Solicitor (Employment), London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Ms Sue Johnson, Senior Diversity and Social Policy Officer, Diversity and Social Policy Team, Greater London Authority; and Ms Nicola Cardwell, Senior OD & Development Consultant, Diversity & Inclusion, PwC.

The panellists described how large organisations such as major firms and public authorities have introduced a range of measures to tackle gender inequality to improve organisational effectiveness. To date, such measures have involved attempts to “fix the system”, rather than to “fix the women” (through encouraging them to “lean in”) or “fix the men” (through equality training for male leaders). Examples include:

• Quotas: These have enabled some organisations to make progress towards more equality in senior positions. In one City firm, there are more female Board members than male but, at the level just below Board, men are disproportionately represented, despite equality at lower levels. In another large company, the Board looks each quarter at the company’s gender and BME pipeline. The conclusion was that organisations need to push conversations about inequality further down the structure. Targeting should support an individual’s development from induction through to senior management.
• Managers need to be accountable for their decisions: Currently, academic procedures often mean that decisions can be hidden. While mentoring was highlighted as an important component of a supportive culture within universities, businesses now favour a sponsorship model. The sponsor is expected not just to impart advice, but also to give the sponsored junior staff access to “secret” networks and activities. One company example provided at the networking event places a firm expectation on the senior sponsors to effect change within their business area. The implication is that programmes such as Athena Swan or the Aurora leadership programme in universities do not currently go far enough.
• Information: To change the system, it is important to have robust knowledge about where problems lie and clear evidence about the benefits that gender diversity brings to a business: understanding the points at which female drop-out occurs and why this happens is essential. Data are needed to understand where and how discrimination occurs. Transparency in salaries and promotion procedures facilitate understanding the nature of the problem. Academia is not transparent. Some big corporations are data-driven, constantly revisiting the numbers of women in their promotional pipeline checking for inconsistencies.

Three tips came from the panel. First, each organisation needs to find a way to make gender equality an issue for everybody. Second, supporting arguments with data is a good strategy for pushing people to change. Third, the path towards gender equality and diversity can be difficult; resilience is necessary and it is essential to celebrate victories.

Next week on the website: Event 2: Career paths, gender and early-stage careers: learning from others and maximising potential – held at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Corresponding author

Viviana Meschitti can be contacted at: v.meschitti@bbk.ac.uk