Executive education (MBA) as a factor of career development of women managers

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to answer the question whether postgraduate education (Master of Business Administration — MBA) is a factor of creating women’s career capital, which is “converted” into income and social status. The theoretical basis of the study is the theory of career capital. The empirical base includes the results of a survey of 241 MBA program graduates of one of the leading Russian business schools two years after their graduation. The analysis of the results showed that postgraduate education contributed to the formation of career capital of the managers, which is further used to achieve income and status. Gender differences were most prominent in the increase of income after school: the female managers did not reach the level of income received by the male MBA graduates. The career capital of female managers, who managed to increase their income to a greater extent, was distinguished by the ability to use the social bondings received during MBA training. It is necessary to pay attention to the development of women's business communication skills, to introduce them to modern technologies for creating social networks in order to level off the situation on the labor market which ensures professional growth and reduces social inequality in the highly competitive professional environment.