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C200: Top Female Executives Make Case for Women in Business

Committee engineers first $1 million effort to include more women in Business School case studies, diversify curriculum.

But this would not achieve any of C200's real goals.

"We're trying to promote and teach some nuance as it relates to the actual differences in company management and operation," she said.

Other Kinds of Cases

Members of C200 were also divided in their opinions on whether the business school should write new case studies to increase the representation of ethnic and racial minorities or homosexuals.

"I'm not clear in my own mind that sexual orientation or ethnic background has as much to do with the success of a business as raw intellect and brilliance," Lloyd said.

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"I think there are needs to emphasize those sorts of characteristics in other times and in other places," Lloyd added.

Hooper, on the other hand, said, as a black woman, she thought it would be useful for minorities to be more represented.

Several other C200 women agreed, saying that like women, these minorities faced special challenges and approached business problems with different perspectives.

Bridging the Generations

The broadening curriculum at the businessschool will draw more minorities to HBS andseveral of its admissions programs are tailoredattract a more diverse student body, Achenbaumsays.

These efforts match the more visiblecontributions of alums, as more female graduateswork to help the next generation of executives.

While the Boston Network reaches out topotential HBS applicants, it also holds events,both instructional and social, for its members.For example, women with special expertise intechnology have held internet training sessionsfor their fellow alumnae.

Says Hart, there is a conscious effort amongwomen in business "to reach out to the nextgeneration of women and create a more positiveimage...to make business a choice."CrimsonRoss J. FleishmanJULIA A. CLARKSON and MARLA A.MALCOLM-NAGLER are members of the BusinessSchool's Women's Student Association.

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