Despite advances in workplace equality, the gender gap in leadership persists. Women continue to be underrepresented in management positions, particularly in male-dominated sectors. This gap is not just a result of discrimination or lack of opportunity but is partly rooted in how societal expectations influence leadership aspirations. Ekaterina Netchaeva, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris, is a leading researcher on gender dynamics in the workplace. Her extensive work, relayed by Bloomberg and Forbes, delves into the complexities behind why women aspire less to leadership roles than men. During her HEC RESKILL masterclass, Netchaeva explored the underlying causes of this leadership gap.
Marc Beretta’s RESKILL Masterclass focused on what he terms the "experience-based qualities for leadership development." These qualities were gathered from over 20 years of coaching top executives around the world. Drawing on over 20,000 hours of experience and real-life examples, Beretta identifies six core leadership qualities: awareness, agility, eco-friendliness, high standards, kindness, and co-visionary thinking. Beretta argues that such assets help leaders not only develop themselves but also foster healthier, more productive environments in their organizations. Extracts.
For a long time, addressing sustainability problems has been regarded as a technological challenge. Today, supporting the transition to a more sustainable world has transcended this technological status and emerged as a quintessential management, economic, and behavioral challenge. Within this realm, research in social sciences and management assumes a pivotal role, offering insights across various crucial dimensions of the transition.
HEC Paris undergoes a transformative shift in its curriculum. Building on its legacy of sustainability initiatives, the institution now prioritizes planetary boundaries and societal impact. The updated curriculum emphasizes sustainability integration and student empowerment for real-world impact. This reflects HEC's dedication to nurturing leaders prepared to address modern challenges.
How to find a balance between executives and employees' objectives to attract and retain talents? How to show legitimacy and trust to align with citizens' values in a time of conflicts? What is the good timing to leave a company? Understanding these multifaceted questions is key for navigating the talent competition and fostering personal career growth. Today, students seek ethical employers, while employees yearn for deeper meaning in their work. Simultaneously, governments and consumers closely examine firms' practices throughout the supply chain. In this edition, researchers from diverse fields offer insights and business cases gleaned from their investigations.
These days, workers at management consulting, investment banking, accounting, and law firms tend to be as interested in their career paths as they are in their salaries—which often means jumping from one firm to another in pursuit of better opportunities. But their career paths and motivation can be powerfully influenced by what sort of tasks an employer assigns to them. A study by Raphaël Lévy, Associate Professor of Economics and Decision Sciences at HEC Paris, and his colleague Heski Bar-Isaac, Professor in the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, explores how these firms’ task allocation strikes a balance between producing value for the business and offering workers opportunities to prove their talent. Three key findings: • “Lose it to use it”: To attract and motivate employees, employers sometimes sell their jobs as springboards to a great career even outside the firm. • Employees are motivated to perform when granted exposure on the labor market and when assigned to tasks allowing them to showcase their skills. • Different human resources policies coexist: some firms consent to high exposure to their employees to boost their professional advancement, others, more concerned with employee retention, offer flatter career paths.
By Raphaël Levy
The world of employment is undergoing a period of rapid change, with major technological developments, economic turbulence, and shareholder activism all contributing to a fast-moving and unpredictable context. To adapt to this new employment landscape, what kind of career strategies do (and should) professionals adopt, specialization or generalization? Professor Roxana Barbulescu of HEC Paris and Rocio Bonet of IE Business School offer insights for jobseekers and employers.
By Roxana Barbulescu
Sales is an occupation known for its high turnover rates. And for good reason: an HEC study shows that salary increases for salespeople tapers off within three years if they stay put. The study’s co-author, HEC Professor of Marketing Dominique Rouziès held a RESKILL Masterclass on October 19 to discuss her research on the value of experience. Rouziès and her colleagues (Professors Keshavarz, Kramarz, Quélin and Segalla) analyzed paycheck data of around 25,000 French salespeople and sales managers over a 20-year period to better understand the links between experience (i.e., careers) and compensation. These are five lessons Professor Rouziès shared in her Masterclass.
Despite legislative transformation, the issue of data handling is far from resolved. Since GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation) came into effect in 2018, the EU has collected over €3 billion in fines from companies who have broken the rules. And with the AI industry ramping up, the question of ethical data handling is more pressing than ever, say Dominique Rouziès, Professor of Marketing, and Michael Segalla, Professor of Management, both at HEC Paris.
By Michael Segalla , Dominique Rouziès
For many of us, it is a given that if we work hard, make valuable contributions, and cultivate the right professional connections, our careers will progress. After all, nepotism aside, work is basically a meritocracy, isn’t it? Well, perhaps not fully, say Roxana Barbulescu, professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris, and her co-authors Claudia Jonczyk of the University of Neuchâtel, and Charles Galunic and Ben Bensaou of INSEAD. Three key findings: Even in up-or-out career environments like professional services firms, and evaluations and promotions, chance events play a substantial role in shaping individuals' careers. Employees tend to interpret chance events differently, leading to varied career attitudes and plans. By identifying and addressing disparities in resource allocation, client visibility, and mentorship opportunities, leaders can enhance employees' sense of recognition and hopefulness about their career advancement within the organization.
