Is sustainable management education contributing to gender equality?

Abstract

One of the imperatives of the Sustainable Development Goals is the pursuit of attaining gender equality. However, the extent to which the sustainable management education project contributes to the equality of genders is rather underexplored in the academic literature. To address this gap, this article analyzes how an Executive Master's in Business Administration (EMBA) delivered by a Latin American school shapes the female and male students' thinking and decision-making styles and how these affect their preparedness to perform in top-management positions. After discussing how the topic has been addressed, we map the curricular design of the program against its capacity to potentiate participants' learning styles according to specific top management position skills. Then the progression of the students is reviewed by examining the evolution of their thinking styles from the beginning to the end of the program. The measurement instrument used to assess participants' thinking styles is the Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI), which is based on neuroscience discoveries related to the integrative use of the brain in decision-making processes. The study finds that the program does not fully potentiate men's and women's capabilities needed to perform in top-management positions. However, it also shows that the training tends to reinforce women's orientation to execution and personal relationships and men's preferences for analytical, risk-taking, and strategic thinking. Finally, it concludes by making recommendations at the level of curriculum design, including personalized support for students during and after the program, as well as broader considerations to advance the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).