‘With parity we can change the world more than prioritizing some limited actions or features.’ (Photo: Christoffer Björklund)
Minna Martikainen
Rector of University of Vaasa in Finland
“Women need to believe in themselves in order to show the way to make diversity and to have an impact. This way, all diversity will be more respected.”
Minna Martikainen has worked as the vice-rector at the University of Vaasa, as a professor of financial accounting and dean for education at Hanken School of Economics, as a professor at Aalto University School of Business, and as vice-rector for international affairs and professor of business finance and accounting at Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT). She has also worked as a researcher at the University of Vaasa, and visiting researcher at Louisiana State University, USA. In addition, Martikainen has extensive experience in the business sector through board memberships and expert assignments.
AACSB data shows that women now make up roughly 30% of business school deans globally, up r about 26% just a few years ago. From your perspective, what has driven that increase and what still limits faster progress? Many would like the answer that women have fewer opportunities or not quite equal opportunities. I would still highlight that research shows that men are goal oriented with more ambition to make a success. Women are more likely to make careful solutions and more security driven and less likely to take risks. What this means in practise is that women themselves can do more than they commonly even think they can, because they are more cautious and security driven. Therefore, in order to make faster progress it means we women ourselves are the ones who need to want more, show it and act accordingly.
Why does parity in business leadership still matter? As debates over DEI intensify globally, how do you articulate the importance of gender parity in leadership to stakeholders who may be skeptical or focused purely on market outcomes? With parity we can change the world more than prioritizing some limited actions or features. For leadership it is not only gender parity, it is rather diversity in many respects. Therefore, gender equality and parity are only the first layer of the parity needed in order to build solid and successful future.
University of Vaasa (Photo Christoffer Björklund)
Once women reach the deanship, what challenges tend to persist — whether related to authority, expectations, or institutional support — that are less visible from the outside? What advantages might women have in the deans role?
You might face more situations than men where authority is tested. You might notice hidden expectations for females to behave certain ways. You might need to be prepared to show more of your competencies in many ways. However, I think this all makes females more competent and determinant leaders.
Describe the programs, initiatives, or institutional practices your school has put in place to advance gender parity within business education and the broader business community. We do follow the gender ratios in student population, among faculties and gender balance in management positions. However, at the same time in all steps throughout we select the best ones. We select our students using the same and equal intake system, we evaluate all job applicants in the same lawful way, we select our management and leadership roles based on those best and most suitable. However, the most important thing is to show the way and tell that expectations are the same for everyone. As a female leader, I personally take care that women are taken care of equally and ensure work life balance and equal opportunities for females with families are possible. This sometimes needs actions and careful considerations.
Personally, I feel this is very important having three grown up children of my own.
Do you believe women bring distinct strengths to academic leadership, particularly in periods of institutional stress or change? Women might be more loyal sometimes and feel more responsibility to finish the tasks in question in time. I believe this is due to the research-based fact that women are more risk averse than males. Therefore, women might want to more often avoid a risk of being late and are the consequences of being late. Loyalty and risk averse behavior, especially in institutional stress, might be very valuable assets to make a ship go forward.
Looking ahead, what changes would most meaningfully move the share of female deans beyond today’s 30%? Women need to show the way. Women in leadership roles need to be vocal that this is doable and roles that are very visible are the way to make a change.
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