Holly Falk-Krzesinski, VP of global academic and research relations for Elsevier BV indicated that a man's professional network is widely dispersed while a woman's professional network is "tighter" and built for personal support.
Chana Schoenberger of the BBC added to this idea, "Women's networks also are typically based on trust and first-degree knowledge, with contacts including old friends, former colleagues and other mothers from their children's schools. Often, many people within a woman's network know one another, she said."
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor study on "The Role of Networks in Women's Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership" also agreed with these ideas when reporting that female small business owners tend to have smaller and less diverse networks than men. Additionally the study revealed that women are more likely to seek advice from family members while men are more likely to seek advice from colleagues (that are friends).
These experts/study determined that this style of female networking can result in women becoming insulated, netting fewer references that can attest to their work performance, and the advice they receive may be less innovative and less internationally-minded.
Result: Fewer opportunities for career and business advancement for females.
Making the landscape even more challenging for females, Herminia Ibarra's classic study concluded that the majority of networking opportunities are structured around male interests not females.
How do we maximize the environment for a female professional networking event that isn't exclusive to females, rather inclusive to both women empowerment and men championing female advancement/opportunities?
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Bryan Harrison
Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
Sr. Manager of Networks
Diamond Bar CA
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