The GEPs include tasks and practices that address issues of discrimination, such as slowed career progression, gender pay gap, and lack of women in leadership positions. They will set key benchmarks for improvement and rely on outside monitoring to make sure partner schools meet their expected deadlines. Aligning with European Union requirements for gender equality planning that will foster a diverse and inclusive work environment, the GEP implementation is regularly evaluated to ensure its long-term sustainability and evolving development. While acknowledging and preserving the need for context and organisationspecific GEPs, the project hopes to conclude with best practices that can inspire other business schools in their own gender equality efforts. An important goal is to establish a European Network of Gender Equality Observatories to ensure the long-term sustainability of gender equality activities and initiatives in business and management schools. OUR POSITION As a TARGETED-MPI partner, our focus in Lancaster UniversityManagement School (LUMS) is on the development, implementation and monitoring of a bespoke GEP. While the overall UK policy and research climate is positively disposed to advancing gender equality, statistics show progress has stalled, with a clear gap between wellintentioned policy, and practice that brings about real change. Our research has highlighted, in particular, the potential to increase understanding of where gender imbalance and inequality occur, and to enhance consistency and transparency across key practices and processes, such as induction and promotion to enable and sustain equitable ways of working. Our emphasis in LUMS is therefore on actions that will be integrated into wider institutional practice, and that will stimulate cultural change and greater inclusivity. The partnering of structurally and geographically diverse business schools adds depth and richness to our understanding, and requires the TARGETED-MPI team to think beyond one-size-fits-all responses and solutions to the generic outcomes of gender inequality. Successful alignment of plans and development of a coordinated approach between the TARGETED-MPI project and the Athena SWAN working group at LUMS was one of the major achievements in 2022. The TARGETED-MPI team is now working with EDI and Athena Swan colleagues to implement concrete measures across different areas of focus, including gender data development – to identify where barriers to gender equality remain, and where progress is being made – career development, work-life policy, internal and external communications, culture and values and gender equality awareness raising. A summary of the LUMS GEP can be found on our website. Current initiatives in LUMS include generating datasets that will provide measures of gender balance in different aspects of academic life, ensuring gender balance in leadership and decision-making as well as gender equality in recruitment and career development opportunities and progression. Other key actions are developing gender awareness through our regular LUMS communication channels and through events, and integrating inclusive values and considerations of gender in our codes of conduct and in our research and teaching. Thus, in partnership with existing EDI initiatives, the TARGETED-MPI research at LUMS, with its focus on action and implementation, has the potential to inform practice and bring about lasting change across UK business schools. A VITAL CHANGE Gender inequality patterns in business and management schools show few signs of diminishing. The pandemic has risked stalling progress further and has highlighted how women’s careers have been adversely affected. Organisations are still dealing with the consequences of the pandemic and having to reconsider work practices. The development and implementation of Gender Equality Plans in business and management schools is therefore vital; if they do not understand their own processes, their culture and the consequences, then how can they effectively influence the wider society they serve, and how can they address the needs of a diverse global society? Guided by the findings of research projects such as TARGETED-MPI, schools have the opportunity to place gender equality at the heart of their agenda and to guide our postpandemic workplace into a more gender inclusive and equal space. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 33 TARGETED-MPI is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, and includes five project partners: Athens University of Economics and Business; Lancaster University; Stockholm School of Economics; Vrije Universiteit Brussel; and American University of Beirut. The TARGETED-MPI team at Lancaster University Management School is: Professor Valerie Stead, Dr Sophie Alkhaled, Dr Robyn Remke, Dr Natalya Radko, and Professor Konstantinos Zografos.
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