Delegitimizing Women Management Scholars’ Underrepresentation in the Research Impact Agenda

Abstract

This chapter argues that the underrepresentation of female faculty in Financial Times ranked business schools and in the growing research impact agenda represents “hypocritical legitimacy.” By professing UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) but not implementing them within their own operations, business schools are looking but not being good. Despite the “symbolic legitimacy” of references to impact in business school mission statements underpinned by the sustainable development goals, they are normalizing gender inequality. We compare percentages of female faculty and students in Financial Times ranked business schools, Times Higher Education university impact rankings, and women’s engagement in the UK’s Research Excellence Framework impact case studies. Using a legitimacy-as-process model, we illustrate how business school research impact becomes gendered. We call for inclusive leadership to close the gaps between the “symbolic legitimacy” of business school brands based on sustainable development goal rhetoric and substantive approaches to delegitimize discrimination for female management faculty.