■ Higher Education
■ Higher Education
U . S . Supreme Court that opened the door to create more varsity athletic opportunities for women . She was captain of the women ’ s gymnastics teams at Brown and in 2018 she was inducted in its Athletic Hall of Fame . She earned an MBA at Northwestern University ’ s Kellogg School of Management .
The professor has nearly 25 years of experience in the private sector , beginning with Deutsche Bank and Bank of America , where she was an investment banker . Later in her career Kaplowitz became treasurer of Bed , Bath & Beyond and CFO to various private-equity backed start-up companies .
She knows what it ’ s like to be the only woman at the conference table . “ And times when I was told I don ’ t look like a CFO , even as I was trying to raise money for the company .”
When she joined the Rutgers business school faculty , she found there was a lack of “ comprehensive or cohesive ” programming for women . With the consent of the dean , she began organizing and fund-raising to create the Center for Women in Business . The efforts came to fruition late in 2019 as the threat of the COVID virus emerged . One of the first studies conducted by the center was born from the pressures of the lockdown .
The study examined the overlap between work and home created by the pandemic . Through a web-based survey for 1,500 people , the center honed-in on the division of household labor . While the study found most of the household duties were performed by women , men ’ s roles also increased . Furthermore , men ’ s new-found household contribution had an impact on women ’ s career , as they cited enhanced productivity and satisfaction .
The Rutgers study was reported in Forbes Magazine , which noted 30 percent of the working parents saw an increase in productivity during the pandemic , as compared to 21 percent of the people without children . Traditional gender roles shifted and norms were redefined as a result of the pandemic
Male executives are exploring what it means to offer “ allyship ” in the small group sessions offered at the center .
pressures . It may also have an effect on the “ mommy track ” stigma , the study concluded , as women and men feel less ashamed of creating home and work boundaries .
Since the initial study , the center has published its work on How Men Can Advance Gender Equity at Work and How Caregiver Employees Bring Unique Value to Companies . Their latest thought leadership is focused on male allyship gender perceptions of power .
Men are integrated in many of the center ’ s initiatives . A companion program to the women ’ s mentoring group is G . A . M . E . ( Generating Allyship in Male Executives ).
James Chae , a vice president in the client advisory group at PGIM , was encouraged to join the group and found it rewarding . He said the sessions were well moderated and the discussions were thought-provoking , especially since relevant articles and other materials were provided in advance .
One topic they explored in their small group was the challenges and perceptions women face when they raise their hand or offer their voice in a male-dominated forum . The question centered on how to give women a platform to speak and eliminate any connotations ascribed to aggressiveness or reticence in the situation .
As a father of three daughters , Chae wants to help with programs that will benefit women workers .
Chae ’ s group found providing an “ agenda ” is the most practical solution to the dilemma . “ It levels the playing field ,” he said , adding “ the agenda gives structure and gives everyone a role .”
The G . A . M . E . discussions can be illuminating , Kaplowitz said . She said the goal is to introduce the male executives to issues they are probably not even aware of . It ’ s never done to belittle or shame , the director said , but rather to educate and eliminate barriers . “ The unique perspective that each of us brings is going to get us to better solutions .”
For more information , visit www . women . business . rutgers . edu .
It ‘ s been only a few years since its creation , yet so many have already benefited from the Center for Women in Business .
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