This project provides an opportunity to focus on Henley Business School post-experience programmes, such as the MBA and Senior Leader Apprenticeships, in order to consider how these courses may have potential to transform the lives and careers of the professional women who are students on them.
Department: Leadership Organisations & Behaviour
Supervised by: Dr Elizabeth Houldsworth
Recent research conducted with Henley MBA alumni confirms that women experience greater career capital developments as a result of the programme than their male classmates (Houldsworth, Jones and Brewster, 2023) and that they appear to have a greater propensity to experience personal transformation as a result (Houldsworth, Tresidder and Rowson, 2024). Although women have traditionally been under-represented on MBA programmes, recent data suggests a move towards more gender balanced MBA intakes (Hazenbush, 2022) which makes it increasingly important to understand any gender differences in terms of experience and outcomes from the programme, particularly whether women are more predisposed to identity transformation. The focus of this study is upon how women from the Henley alumni perceive the MBA to have impacted their lives and careers and whether they found any elements of the Henley learning experience particuarly impactful. Working alongside the PI, Dr Liz Houldsworth who is academic lead for Henley’s work to Advance Business Education Research (ABER) this project will conduct initial literature and pilot data collection to begin to understand the learning experience of women students and how they perceive this to have impacted their subsequent life and career trajectories. A pilot study will be conducted based to collect data from female alumni. Outputs from the research will contribute to a conference paper in September 2024 and an article for the ABER blog.
Week 1 Following training begin compiling annotated Endnote library around post-experience education, women’s participation and impact on careers and life chances. With PI complete ethics process Week 2: Continue literature review. With PI agree interview/ focus group framework Contact target individuals, arrange focus groups/ interviews. Week 3: Finalise arrangements for focus groups/ interviews with Women in Leadership prize winners. Encourage snowball sampling. Week 4: Conduct interviews/ focus groups (via Teams using automatic transcription) - writing up as go along. Week 5: Conduct interviews / focus groups – writing up as go along until data collection finalised. Week 6: Data analysis Draft piece for Henley’s Advancing Business Education Review (ABER) and alumni services. Produce PowerPoint presentation about the project so far documenting themes from the literature and pilot data collection.
Essential: proven ability to conduct independent academic research; written and spoken communication; relevant IT skills for online research; editorial skills. Desirable: customer service skills to support with contacting and liaising with sample for pilot data collection and dealing with other academic and support teams within the Business School.
The students will acquire or develop deeper understanding of the field of post-experience management education and women’s careers • new analytical and writing skills through conducting and reporting on research• familiarity with library data bases - including how to conduct informal interviews/ focus groups.
The PI is based at the Greenlands campus, some visits there required and access to own transport would be convenient. A desk can be available in hotdesking area of room 102 of the Henley Business School Whiteknights.
To be arranged to suit the successful applicant.
Monday 17 June 2024 - Friday 26 July 2024
The deadline to apply for this project is 5pm on Friday 17th May 2024. To make an application, please go to the following link and complete the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/LDxskffW5H. Please remember the title of the project (listed at the top of the page) as you will need this to locate the project on the application form.