Developing a Gender-Aware Framework for the Implementation and Integration of Gender Equality Plans in Business and Management Schools

There have been persistent efforts to tackle gender inequalities (GE) in higher education, and yet women remain under-represented in all disciplines and at all levels of academia, especially in senior leadership roles (Shepherd, 2017; Fotaki, 2013). Since 2015, the EU has been actively supporting the development and implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) in academic organisations as a tool for structural change (Clavero & Galligan, 2021). A GEP is defined as a set of actions aimed at identifying gender inequalities and bias, designing and implementing measures to correct these, and setting targets and monitoring progress via indicators (EIGE, 2016). GEPs implemented in the context of EU funded projects must meet the three objectives of the European Research Area in relation to gender equality: (1) to remove legal and other barriers to the recruitment, retention, and career progression of female researchers; (2) to address gender imbalances in decision making pro- cesses, and (3) to strengthen the gender dimension in research (Council of the European Union, 2015; Clavero and Galligan, 2021). While GE work has focused mainly on STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) subjects, little research has explored the effectiveness or reach of these gender equality initiatives in Business and management (B&M) schools (Roseberry et al., 2016).