
- 10 May 2021
- Research & Ideas
Who Has Potential? For Many White Men, It’s Often Other White Men
Companies struggling to build diverse, inclusive workplaces need to break the cycle of “sameness” that prevents some employees from getting an equal shot at succeeding, says Robin Ely. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 02 Apr 2019
- Research Event
Women Pay a Higher Career Price in Today's Always-On Work Culture
In industries that prize overwork, both men and women pay the price of missed time with family. But the career damage is more severe for women, says Robin Ely. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 10 Sep 2018
- Research & Ideas
Celebrating 'The Men and Women of the Corporation' 40 Years Later
Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s Men and Women of the Corporation inspired and informed a generation of scholars studying gender, status, and power. Robin J. Ely interviews Kanter about her groundbreaking research and why it remains relevant today. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 09 Feb 2017
- Cold Call Podcast
Black Business Leaders Series: Putting Diversity to Work
In theory, most companies would love to diversify their workforce. In practice, hiring specifically to increase diversity can cause a variety of cultural problems within an organization. Professor Robin Ely discusses two case studies that train a critical lens on race-based and race-blind hiring. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 22 Nov 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Explaining the Persistence of Gender Inequality: The Work-Family Narrative as a Social Defense against the 24/7 Work Culture
A common explanation for women’s stalled advancement into high-level positions is that women’s family obligations conflict with the long hours of these jobs. Work-family accommodations have done little to help women advance, however. And men also experience work-family conflict yet nevertheless advance. This study argues that women’s advancement is slowed because of social defenses at the organizational level, along with wider cultural beliefs that are resistant to change. These findings concur with scholars’ observations that progress toward gender equality is slowed to the extent that efforts are focused exclusively on women. Expanding efforts to include a thorough-going reconsideration of gender at work and at home, such that both women and men can freely pursue lives in which one domain need not take precedence over the other, may be more effective.
- 17 Nov 2016
- Op-Ed
What's Behind the Unexpected Trump Support from Women
Why did Donald Trump’s candidacy appeal to so many women voters? Laura Morgan Roberts and Robin Ely say women from varying backgrounds cast their ballots for a number of reasons related to gender, economics, and perceptions of leadership. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Nov 2016
- First Look
November 15, 2016
Why gender inequality persists ... Is hiring best left to a hiring manager? ... Understanding brand portfolio strategy.
- 13 Apr 2016
- Research Event
What Does 'Diversity' Really Mean?
At Harvard Business School’s fourth annual Gender & Work Symposium, speakers reflected on how the language we use can either hold certain groups back or help point organizations toward positive social change. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 14 Apr 2014
- Research & Ideas
Difficulties for Women Bridging Racial, Generational, and Global Divides
A symposium at Harvard Business School delved into "intersectionality"—the seemingly obvious yet complex idea that gender interacts with other axes of inequality such as race, age, class, and ethnicity. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Apr 2013
- Research Event
Conference Challenges Gender Conventions
A conference at Harvard Business School addressed the on-the-ground reality of women leaders 50 years after the first women were admitted to the two-year MBA Program at Harvard. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Apr 2013
- Research & Ideas
Women’s Summit Celebrates ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuit’
Some 800 alumnae returned to Harvard Business School for the W50 Summit, two days of reflection, celebration, and brainstorming on women's experiences at HBS and beyond. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Feb 2012
- Research & Ideas
Leadership Program for Women Targets Subtle Promotion Biases
Despite more women in the corporate work force, they still are underrepresented in executive officer positions. Professor Robin Ely and colleagues propose a new way to think about developing women for leadership. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 27 Nov 2006
- Research & Ideas
Manly Men, Oil Platforms, and Breaking Stereotypes
Men who work in dangerous places often act invulnerable to prove their merit as workers and as men—objectives that can lead to decreased safety and efficiency. Professor Robin Ely and her team helicoptered to offshore oil platforms in order to understand "manly men" and how working environments can be changed to alter men's enactments of manhood. Key concepts include: Men's masculine identity (like women's feminine identity) is a profoundly social and cultural phenomenon. In dangerous, male-dominated work settings, men's tendency to gain respect by demonstrating and defending their masculinity is costly. Efforts to appear invulnerable block precisely the kinds of actions that encourage safety and effectiveness. Offshore oil platforms, although male dominated, are also improving safety dramatically. Rather than seeking to prove how tough, proficient, and cool-headed they are, platform workers purposefully make themselves vulnerable in order to perform their jobs more safely and effectively. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Jun 2004
- Research & Ideas
Racial Diversity Pays Off
Diversity has been a buzzword in organizations for at least fifteen years. How much is really known about its effects on performance? HBS professors Robin Ely and David Thomas investigate. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Dec 2003
- Research & Ideas
Women Leaders and Organizational Change
Merely expanding the number of women in leadership roles does not automatically induce organizational change. Harvard professor Robin Ely and Debra Meyerson call for fundamental changes to transform organizations. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Feb 2003
- Research & Ideas
Women at Work
Women have fought their way out of the house and into the top tiers of the workforce. How have successful women accomplished that work/life balance? Panelists discuss the decisions they made and how comfortable they are with their choices. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 22 Apr 2002
- Research & Ideas
Work, Family, Private Life: Why Not All Three?
Mention work-family balance and you think of a trade-off: something gained for something lost. What are some more positive ways both men and women can handle the balancing act? In a Möbius Leadership Forum, three experts—a professor, a rabbi, and a practioner—weighed in. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
Beyond the 'Business Case' in DEI: 6 Steps Toward Meaningful Change
Diversity and inclusion efforts that focus on business outcomes alone rarely address root causes. Jamillah Bowman Williams, a visiting fellow at the Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society, offers tips for companies navigating their next stage of the DEI journey.