This International Women's Day, INSEAD takes a look at persistent myths about women in business that need to be shattered and replaced with clear facts. Because when women have the same opportunities to rise up the ranks and take the lead, organisations do better. #IWD2017 #BeBoldForChange Learn more about the INSEAD's degree programmes: MBA - http://inse.ad/NoJOuh Global Executive MBA - http://inse.ad/sCUvQU Executive Master in Finance - http://inse.ad/YIp7yF

1. 7Deadly
Myths about
Women in Business

2. “Women are bad
at negotiating.”
Myth
1

3. FACT:
Women negotiate
just as well as
men, when the
playing field
is levelled.
”’Nice Girls Don’t Negotiate’ & Other Gender Myths”. Horacio Falcão. INSEAD Knowledge. June 2014.

4. ” …Why the gender pay gap does not reflect the 'choices' women make”. Lisa Annese. The Guardian. November 2016.
Women
also ask for a
raise as often as
men. But men are
25% more likely to be
given one than women.

5. ” …Why the gender pay gap does not reflect the 'choices' women make”. Lisa Annese. The Guardian. November 2016.
Negotiation is usually
associated with
agentic, masculine
behaviour. When
employers negotiate
with women, they
tend to offer less
and are more likely
to resist influence
attempts.

6. “Women are good negotiators. Female-
associated behaviours, such as supporting
others, curiosity, cooperation, and
convincing, are increasingly regarded
as important negotiation
techniques.”

7. “Women with children
will not have time to
meet leadership
obligations.”
Myth
2

8. ”Are Women’s Leadership Assumptions Holding Them Back?” Xiaowei Rose Luo. INSEAD Knowledge. March 2016.
FACT:
When it comes to
leadership and
decision-making,
quality trumps
quantity—or the
amount of time
spent behind
the desk.

9. ”Are Women’s Leadership Assumptions Holding Them Back?” Xiaowei Rose Luo. INSEAD Knowledge. March 2016.
Workplace flexibility
and family-friendly
policies attract
better talent,
which raises
productivity.

10. “I became very organised [after having
children], creating a strict schedule and
allocating specific times for work and
for family. I have continued this same
discipline upon returning
to work.”

11. “Women lack the
confidence to lead.”
Myth
3

12. FACT:
Women and men
have comparable
leadership
ambitions
and…
…career
aspirations
at the start of
their careers.
“It’s not lack of confidence holding women back, it’s the myths we tell ourselves”. Lisa Annese. The Guardian. November 2012.

13. But as women progress
in their careers, they
report a combination
of obstacles that
wear down their
confidence over
time.

14. “It’s not lack of confidence holding women back, it’s the myths we tell ourselves”. Lisa Annese. The Guardian. November 2012.
not being able
to imagine
fitting into the
stereotype
of success
not being able
to access the
career flexibility
they need
not receiving
important
sponsorship
from influential
leaders
These often cited obstacles include:

15. “A Simple Exercise Can Help Women Overcome Self-Doubt to Succeed”. Zoe Kinias. Harvard Business Review. August 2016.
Women’s self-doubt is a
product of the environment—
the long-term societal
influence and the broader
business landscape.
Bolstering self-confidence
makes people more
resilient, but we also
need to improve the
environments that
undermine women.

16. “The Leadership Development Programme
helped me put myself and my life into
perspective, understand and value my
strengths. I also learnt to accept my
weaknesses and to ask for support
when I need it.”

17. “Women executives
are unsupportive
of other women.”
Myth
4

18. FACT:
65% of women who
received career
development
support…
…are
developing
new talent
compared to
56% of men.
“Paying It Forward Pays Back for Business Leaders”. Catalyst. November 2012.

19. And 73%
of the women
developing new
talent are developing
other women, compared
to only 30% of men.
“Paying It Forward Pays Back for Business Leaders”. Catalyst. November 2012.

20. “In my previous job, I was the most senior woman
in the Middle East, so one would think that
investing in my network of female colleagues
wouldn’t bring benefits. Yet two of my biggest
breaks came through the support of other
women. Don’t compete,
join forces.”

21. “Women don’t
have what it takes to
be entrepreneurs.”
Myth
5

22. FACT:
Women
entrepreneurs
rose by nearly 10%
in 2013 compared to a
3.3% increase in men taking
the entrepreneurial leap.
“…5 entrepreneurial myths debunked”. Josephine Fairley. The Telegraph. January 2015.

23. “2016 BNP Paribas Global Entrepreneur Report”. BNP Paribas.
Companies led by women entrepreneurs
had 13% higher revenues than those
run by men and finished
9% above the
average.

24. “Starting a business is a time-intensive
commitment that impacts not only you
but also everyone in your life—make
sure that you do your research and
assess the risks before
diving head in.”

25. “Women are
bad at math.”
Myth
6

26. ”Cross-Cultural Analysis of Students with Exceptional Talent in Mathematical Problem Solving”. Titu Andreescu et al. AMS. Vol. 55, No. 10
FACT:
It’s not a
matter of
biology: the
maths-gender
gap, where it
occurs, is due to
cultural factors
that differ among
countries—and they
can be changed.

27. “If you really think you are good with
numbers, then you really are.
At work, my boss started to take
me seriously when I showed him
my 730 GMAT
score.”

28. “It won’t be long
before women catch up
with men in business.”
Myth
7

29. FACT:
Women are less likely to
receive their first critical
promotion to manager
and are less likely to be
hired into more senior
positions, putting
fewer women on the
leadership path.
“Women in the Workplace 2016” McKinsey & Company; Lean In Foundation.

30. “Women in the Workplace 2015” McKinsey & Company; Lean In Foundation.
If the slow progress
over the last three years
continues, it will take
25 years to reach gender
parity at the senior VP
level and more than
100 years at the C-suite.

31. “Work with and through allies—including
men! The best strategy is to create a coalition
of managers, mentors and peers who
recognise that the issue [of gender bias]
exists, and work with them to tackle
the problem head-on.”

32. “If people are
doubting how far you
can go, go so far that
you can’t hear them
anymore.”

33. At INSEAD, diversity includes supporting
and empowering women in every way:
Annual INSEAD Women in
Business Conference
INSEAD Celebrates Women
Scholarships for Women
Women in Business Club
Women@INSEAD

34. INSEAD is also a proud partner of:
Forté Foundation
Professional Women’s Network

35. REFERENCES (in order of citation)
‘Nice Girls Don’t Negotiate’ & Other Gender Myths
Horacio Falcão. INSEAD Knowledge. June 2014.
http://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/nice-girls-dont-negotiate-other-gender-myths-3414
Dispelling the Myths: Why the gender pay gap does not reflect the ‘choices’ women make
Lisa Annese. The Guardian. November 2016.
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/nov/08/dispelling-the-myths-why-the-gender-pay-gap-
does-not-reflect-the-choices-women-make
Are Women’s Leadership Assumptions Holding Them Back?
Xiaowei Rose Luo. INSEAD Knowledge. March 2016.
http://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/are-womens-leadership-assumptions-holding-them-back-4600
It’s not lack of confidence holding women back, it’s the myths we tell ourselves.
Lisa Annese. The Guardian. November 2012.
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/mar/08/its-not-lack-of-confidence-holding-women-back-
its-the-myths-we-tell-ourselves

36. REFERENCES (in order of citation, continued)
A Simple Exercise Can Help Women Overcome Self-Doubt to Succeed
Zoe Kinias. Harvard Business Review. August 2016.
https://hbr.org/2016/08/a-simple-exercise-can-help-women-overcome-self-doubt-and-succeed
Paying It Forward Pays Back for Business Leaders
Catalyst. November 2012.
http://www.catalyst.org/media/paying-it-forward-pays-back-business-leaders
You can start a business and here's how. Five entrepreneurial myths debunked.
Josephine Fairley. The Telegraph. January 2015.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-business/11340080/Womens-business-advice-5-entrepreneurship-
myths-debunked.html
2016 BNP Paribas Global Entrepreneur Report
https://group.bnpparibas/en/news/bnp-paribas-global-entrepreneurs-report-2016
Full Report: https://wealthmanagement.bnpparibas.com/public/dx/news-2015-11-
05_en/%24FILE/2016%20BNP%20Paribas%20Global%20Entrepreneur%20Report.pdf

37. REFERENCES (in order of citation, continued)
Cross-Cultural Analysis of Students with Exceptional Talent in Mathematical Problem Solving
Titu Andreescu et al. American Mathematical Society. Vol. 55, No. 10
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/10math_report.pdf
Women in the Workplace 2016
McKinsey & Company; Lean In Foundation.
http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/women-in-the-workplace-2016
Full Report: https://womenintheworkplace.com/Women_in_the_Workplace_2016.pdf
Women in the Workplace 2015
McKinsey & Company; Lean In Foundation.
http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/women-in-the-workplace
Full Report: https://womenintheworkplace.com/Women_in_the_Workplace_2015.pdf

38. KNOWLEDGE
The information used in this presentation is brought to you by INSEAD

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