Podcast

¿Cree que el éxito corporativo depende del networking? Este estudio pionero conceptualiza el networking como un "mito legitimador", una narrativa que normaliza la creencia de que el ascenso se debe al mérito personal, ignorando las barreras estructurales que perpetúan la dominancia masculina. Revelamos la paradoja que enfrentan las mujeres directivas: Rechazan el networking por ser excluyente (debido a las "redes de viejos amigos" y la "trampa subordinada", donde son relegadas a roles subalternos). Sin embargo, lo internalizan estratégicamente para avanzar, recurriendo a la "autojustificación casuística" y a estándares autoimpuestos más altos". A través de una metodología mixta que incluye el Test de Asociación Implícita (IAT), la investigación muestra cómo el foco en el esfuerzo individual de las mujeres inadvertidamente refuerza el sistema que las margina. Analizamos cómo desafiar el mito del networking para fomentar un "mito atenuante", basado en la equidad y la transparencia.

This episode discusses a new study analyzing whether gender diversity on corporate boards drives bettwe financial performance in the European insurance industry. Using data from 22 insurers listed on the EUROSTOXX 600 (2013-2023), the authors show that companies with more women on boards and fairer pay structures achieve significantly hiher profitability (ROE and ROA). However, mandatory quotas alone don't deliver the same benefits. The findings reinforce that gender equality is not just a social issue-it's a strategic advantage for business success and corporate responsibility.

Networking is a critical driver of professional success, yet our study "Challenging Barriers Opening Pathways in Women's Networking", based on 190 female executives from the Promociona Program, reveals that for women, gaining access to strategic networks is far from a level playing field.

• Power networks still have gatekeepers.

• Self promotion vs. merit perception.

• The networking dilema.

•  It's not just about attending events-it's about belonging.

Women-led businesses receive less bank credit and pay higher interest rates than male-led firms, even when their financial profiles are identical. In this episode, we explore the findings of our Journal of Corporate Finance study, where we analyze whether this disparity is driven by differences in risk-taking behavior, firm characteristics, or implicit biases in lending decisions. Using a dataset from Spanish firms and a matching approach, we reveal that these credit restrictions persist even when controlling for observable differences, pointing to unconcious discrimination in financial institutions.

Join Professors Gabriela Contreras, Ruth Mateos de Cabo, and Ricardo Gimeno as they reveal the findings of their groundbreaking research published in the European Management Journal. Using a unique dataset of executives, they uncover a persistent gender gap in LinkedIn networking: women connect less frequently and with less influential contacts compared to men. Women aren't standing still, though. They employ ceratives strategies like gender homophily and recategorization to build their networks. However, these approaches often lead to less diverse networks than men, limiting access to critical opportunities and perpetuating inequalities.

This podcast dives into the data, the chalenges, and the implications of these disparities, offering fresh insights and a call to action for more inclusive professional networks.