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.
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.
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.
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.
The current uncertain and complex environment is further driving research on how business leaders should respond in the workplace. In this RESKILL Masterclass, Brad Harris, Professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris, discusses the questions of building trust, creating healthy dynamics and enabling an empowered culture needed to respond to the challenges the 21st century is throwing up. It was recorded on March 23, 2023, and is available on YouTube. You can also find all the questions and comments on the LinkedIn Live. Here are the three key takeaways... and a summary of leadership qualities.
To retain talent, sell their products or attract investors, and generally justify their existence, businesses need to be perceived by society at large as legitimate. But as social values evolve over time or after a sudden crisis, organizations may see their actions and purpose questioned. In this interview, Julien Jourdan, expert on the consequences of reputation, legitimacy and scandals on organizations, explains why legitimacy is key to resilience for businesses.
In a rapidly changing professional world, where the pandemic changed the rules of the game, careers may feel like roller-coaster rides. To better respond to turbulence and take ownership of our careers and lives, we need to move into the driving seat. How so? By learning and nurturing resilience.
Be they in Dakar, Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Lagos or Paris, it is indispensable for executives to understand social contexts. This understanding is built on a genuine interest in local practices, attentive listening to stakeholders, and a sociological spirit, which means giving thought to how societies function and are transformed. How do players construct and coordinate their activities? What relations do individuals have with society? Based on rigorous empirical work, the sociology of organizations provides keys to understand local managerial specificities. This kind of approach appears essential for anyone who wants to work in Africa. The point I would like to make here is just how important context is and why it is in the manager’s interest to listen to sociologists.
Should I take this job? Will this new experience help me to get a promotion in future, or will I waste my time trying to master something that I am not good at? Those are questions that one would ask if proposed a job in another functional unit. Cross-functional transitions (moves between different functional units within an organization) may seem useful to boost one’s career, but what is better for long-term career advancement: to specialize or to diversify?
