McKinsey’s comprehensive study “Women in the Workplace 2019” reviewed data collected since 2015, the first year the report was prepared. That’s data from almost 600 companies and more than 250,000 people surveyed on their workplace experiences in the area of gender diversity.
Among the report’s conclusions: On the positive side, an increasing number of companies see the value of having more women in leadership. But on the negative — women continue to be underrepresented at every level of corporate management.
The University of Notre Dame Ethics Week 2020, hosted by the Mendoza College of Business, will present a comprehensive discussion of gender diversity during its weeklong conference titled “Women Lead.” The events take place Monday, Feb. 10, through Friday, Feb. 14, in Commons C in the lower level of the Stayer Center for Executive Education, just to the south of Mendoza on the Notre Dame campus.
Speakers include leaders and executives such as Carolyn Y. Woo, former dean of the Mendoza College of Business; faculty members active in diversity efforts and courses; and current Notre Dame MBA students who are leading an initiative to promote professional development for women at Notre Dame.
Organizers said that although considerations of ethics are part of the curriculum and programs of the Mendoza College of Business throughout the year, Notre Dame Ethics Week provides a dedicated opportunity for members of the Mendoza community to gather and explore timely themes.
“In the wake of headlines on topics from #MeToo and male allies to debates on the promise and pitfalls of ‘leaning in,’ students, faculty and community members who attend will hear from a diverse group of scholars and business people who have meaningful insights and are making contributions toward more inclusive workplaces,” said Jessica McManus Warnell, an associate teaching professor of management and organization at Mendoza.
All events are free and open to the public. The schedule is as follows:
- Monday, Feb. 10, 5-6 p.m.: Panel discussion featuring current Notre Dame MBA students and moderated by Joe Holt, Mendoza teaching professor of business ethics; “Rising Together: Gender Equity in Business.”
- Tuesday, Feb. 11, 5-6 p.m: Carolyn Y. Woo, former dean of the Mendoza College of Business and former CEO of Catholic Relief Services; “Growing into Authentic Leadership.”
- Wednesday, Feb. 12, 5-6 p.m.: Cathy David, former executive vice president of merchandising for Pier 1 Imports; “Memoir in Progress: Stories and Souvenirs from the First Half.”
- Thursday, Feb. 13, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Erin Bellissimo, managing director of the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing and board member for Girls Who Invest; “Women in Investing.”
- Friday, Feb. 14, 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Panel discussion, “Women and the Workplace,” featuring the following Mendoza College of Business faculty and staff members:
- Robin Kistler, director of non-degree programs for the Stayer Center for Executive Education (moderator).
- Angela Logan, the St. Andre Bessette Director of Nonprofit Professional Development and associate teaching professor.
- Amanda McKendree, the Arthur F. and Mary J. O'Neil Director of the Fanning Center for Business Communication and management and organization associate teaching professor.
- Cindy Muir, management and organization associate professor and leadership researcher.
- Alice Obermiller, director of experiential learning and leadership development for Mendoza’s Graduate Business Programs.
The event is sponsored by Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership.
Now in its 23rd year, Notre Dame Ethics Week takes place annually in February and brings in experts from a diverse array of industries to explore current ethics issues. The series was established to encourage the discussion of ethical matters in undergraduate and graduate business classes at Notre Dame and to secure a foundation for future discussions inside and outside the classroom.
Ethics Week honors the legacy of the late John Houck, a Notre Dame management professor who wrote numerous works on business ethics, including “Is the Good Corporation Dead?”
For more information about Notre Dame Ethics Week 2020, contact Brian Levey at 574-631-3560 or blevey@nd.edu.