Gender Inequality in Undergraduate Business Schools: The Glass Door Effects

Abstract

This study examined female underrepresentation in business schools among undergraduate students and faculty in a sample of universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and compares the findings to other public universities in Pennsylvania. We found that during the 1995–2008 period, when compared with other academic disciplines, female student representation in business programs was lower than in other colleges and actually had declined over time. Similarly, female business faculty representation was lower than the average female representation at their respective universities. The majority of previous studies examined the “glass ceiling effect” to describe the impediments that women face in their quest for executive positions in the business world. This study attempted to shed light on possible obstacles that women face at the entry to the business world and discusses challenges to recruiting and retaining female students and faculty in business programs. The implications of these findings are imperative for maintaining diverse education and industry environments, which can have long-term economic consequences for society at large. The importance of this issue was highlighted in the recently passed Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.