Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

TEEN GIRLS ON BUSINESS: ARE THEY BEING EMPOWERED?

A National Survey from The Committee of 200 and Simmons College School of Management

TOPLINE FINDINGS October 2002 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

Authors Deborah Marlino and Fiona Wilson Simmons College School of Management

The Committee of 200 is the professional organization of preeminent women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.

The Simmons College School of Management is the only business school designed specifically for women.

For more information contact: [email protected]

© Simmons College School of Management and The Committee of 200. Permission must be obtained from Simmons College School of Management and The Committee of 200 before any part of this publication is reprinted, quoted or transmitted in any form. Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Call to Action 2

Highlights 4

Looking to the Future: Teens on Careers 6

Girls on Business: A Different Perspective 8

The Triangle of Influence 10

Girls Attracted to Business: What Can We Learn? 12

Diversity: A Range of Perceptions 14

Methodology 16

Acknowledgements 17

The Committee of 200 The Committee of 200 (C200), founded in 1982, is the organization of leading women in business, dedicated to fostering growth and increasing opportunities for women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders worldwide. The C200 membership collectively controls over $100 billion in corporate rev- enues in the U.S. and represents some 100 industries. Over 60% of the members occupy at least one corporate board seat, 95% serve on non-profit boards, and 17 members have received presidential appointments at some time. C200 accomplishes its goal as a catalyst for change through a series of programs focused on outreach, education and mentoring for aspiring women business leaders.

Simmons College School of Management The Simmons College School of Management is the center for women, leadership, and management. Since 1973, it has pursued the unique mission of educating women for power and leadership. We are committed to providing a premier business education to women MBA and undergraduate students and executives; being a recognized authority on women and leadership; and serving as a leading edge resource for organizations committed to the success of women managers and leaders. The Simmons College School of Management is part of Simmons College in Boston, MA.

1 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

A CALL TO ACTION

Early in 2002, The Committee of 200 announced its call to action with the release of the C200 Leadership Index. A major finding continues unabated: that women remain underrepresented in leadership positions across Corporate America, even as businesses are created at a rate of 2:1 by women entrepreneurs as compared to men.1 While we have witnessed a dramatic increase in women professionals and managers over the past three decades, the glass ceiling remains firmly in place at the corporate leadership level. Since the 1970’s, women have moved from representing 4% of managers to 49%. Yet, in 2000, women held only 6% of the highest-ranking corporate leadership positions and 12% of corporate officer positions, with women of color representing only 1% of corporate officers.2 Using a comprehen- sive index of measures, the C200 determined that women’s leadership clout in business is only 3.5 compared to 10 for men.3 Advancing women into top leadership positions is the goal of our call to action. The Committee of 200 and Simmons College School of Management are committed to changing this picture. At a time when we need strong, thoughtful, and ethical leaders, the paucity of women at the top is alarming. We need women’s voices, perspectives, and skills shaping the world of business -- leading our companies, contributing to our communities, spawning global partnerships, and launching new “I really have two different enterprises. Teenage girls represent the future for leadership. We invite and challenge leaders in business, education, impressions of business. media, government, and the not-for-profit sector to join us One is sort of black and white, in propelling women into top leadership positions.

and one is sort of really fun,

awesome, like using

your imagination.”

- Middle School Girl

1The Center for Women's Business Research (2002), Women-Owned Businesses in 2002: Trends in the US and Top Metro Areas, Washington DC: The Center for Women's Business Research 2 2Catalyst (2000), Census of Women Corporate Officers and Top Earners,NY: Catalyst 3The Committee of 200 (2002), The C200 Business Leadership Index (2002): Annual Report on Women’s Clout in Business, Chicago, IL: The Committee of 200 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

Our study Strengthening the pipeline of girls and young women interested in business careers is a critical lever for change. Recognizing that the influences that affect a woman’s career choices begin early in her life, we decided to investigate and benchmark how the next generation of potential leaders per- ceives business. The Teen Girls on Business study provides a rich under- “I think that business holds standing of how middle and high school girls view business up the world’s economy and … as a career and life opportunity. We examined the key factors affecting girls’ attitudes to their careers and their perceptions really helps people around the world.” of business, and how these attitudes and perceptions differ - Middle School Girl from those of boys as well as across girls of diverse racial/ethnic groups. We also identified key sources of influence -- media, family, and education -- affecting teen girls in their career aspirations. Here we provide the top line findings. A full research report will be published in early 2003. Ultimately, the Teen Girls on Business study reinforces the need for action. We provide a strong foundation of empiri- cal data to stimulate a national dialogue on the importance of empowering girls for business. Our most striking finding is that despite teen girls’ significant economic participation, the power of business as a force for economic and social change remains invisible to them. It is our hope that this dialogue will generate awareness of the issues and catalyze actionable programs to educate and excite girls for careers in business.

Connie K. Duckworth Patricia O’Brien Chair Dean The Committee of 200 Simmons College School of Management

3 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

HIGHLIGHTS

Career aspirations and expectations st Adult Career Choice (1 Response, Unprompted) • Teenage girls are optimistic about their future careers and lives. In general, they plan to attend college and gradu- Girls Boys ate school. Like teen boys, most expect to support their families. Most teen girls expect to work primarily full time, 6% 9% 6% 15% but are more likely than boys to say that they would take time off if they had children. Girls of color expect to 7% carry more financial responsibility as adults than 29% 37% 17% White/Caucasian girls. 49% • Teens rate enjoyment of their job, being respected, and 25% having enough time for friends and family as the most important factors for their future jobs. In focus groups, Business Other** teen girls echoed this desire for a balanced life. Science/Technology/Engineering Undecided Other Professions* • Teen boys give higher priority than girls to making lots

* e.g. law, medicine etc of money in their future careers. In contrast, girls rated ** e.g. professional sports, entertainment etc. higher the importance of helping others and making the world a better place. • Girls of color gave more importance than White/Caucasian “[Business is] how our economy runs. girls to making lots of money, helping others and making the world a better place. We have to have it. And when you think about it, that’s what the whole Attitudes towards business and business careers American dream is about ... being part • Teens report a neutral-to-favorable attitude toward business, which likely reflects their appreciation of the of a corporation and moving up.” economic and social roles that businesses play in the world. -High School Girl • Teens rank business low as a career choice. When asked to list their future career choices, girls selected business careers only 9% of the time. Boys listed business 15% of “Definitely when I think about the time. the business world, I think about men, • Overall, girls are more ambivalent than boys about business like old, white men.” and about careers in business specifically. Many of the teen girls in our focus groups referred to business as constraining, -High School Girl boring or stressful. They also tended to view business as a male domain. • Money and finance were top-of-mind associations with business. In addition, teens see financial literacy and the ability to work with numbers as important skills for business success. When asked to rate themselves in these areas, girls were less confident in their abilities than boys.

4 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

• White/Caucasian girls report less excitement about business careers than did girls of other racial or ethnic Study Overview backgrounds. Interest is especially high among Asian American girls. Hispanic and African American girls Sample Size: are more inclined to be entrepreneurs, and view business as more exciting and satisfying than girls from 4,292 Teens Grades 7 -12 3,028 Girls other racial/ethnic groups. 1,264 Boys • Girls who list business as their first career choice tend to be from higher-income areas, and to have parents 29 Public and Private Schools across the (especially fathers) in business. They are more likely to United States belong to clubs, social organizations or teams, to hold 17 focus groups with middle and high school leadership positions in these organizations, and to hold girls, teachers and parents jobs outside of school. All differences in means and percentages reported are A triangle of influence: family, school and the media statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. • Parents, especially mothers, are influential sources of career advice for teenage girls. Boys are almost twice as likely as girls to list their father as the adult with the most influence. • In focus groups, parents expressed hesitancy about encouraging their daughters to pursue specific career paths. Rather, they want their daughters to have a “It’s a person working in a cubicle area, range of options and to be fulfilled and happy in and he’s in a seatbelt. Because I think their careers. when you do work for those kinds of • Teachers, guidance counselors or school programs are less likely to be cited as a source of career advice. Girls companies, you’re restricted. in general, and especially Hispanic girls, are more likely to Restricted from being more creative use school resources than boys. and using your own mind … it just • Focus groups with teachers revealed that many are seems that you have to do everything uncomfortable with giving specific career advice. In general, teachers interviewed expressed limited knowledge of really uniform.” business and held neutral or negative attitudes - Middle School Girl towards business. • All groups of teens in our study are heavy Internet users and cited it as a major source of information on careers. • Teenagers are surrounded by media depictions of different careers. We found few role models of business people in the media, and even fewer of women in business. Business careers were presented as vague or humorous, and at best peripheral to the plot line. Very little information can be found about business careers in magazines and on websites popular with teens.

5 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: TEENS ON CAREERS

Teenagers share key similarities in how they view their future careers. These similarities may reflect several impor- “My Mom works 24/7, like all the time. tant trends of the past decade: the increasing number of two-income families, a period of technological innovation, It’s crazy. So I just see the unprecedented economic prosperity and political stability. pressure that she’s in.” Ambitious expectations - High School Girl Teenage girls and boys share the same basic hopes for their careers. They want to: • Enjoy their work Future Expectations • Earn the respect of others % Agree Girls Boys • Stay interested in what they do 3% 2% • Lead a “balanced life” 11% In focus groups, teenage girls made a direct connection 17% between careers and work/life balance issues. They often 80% 87% used words and images associated with stress, such as “always being tired” and “leaving the family behind.” Teenagers report ambitious career and educational expecta- Will need to make enough for me and my family tions, and feel a strong desire to be self-supporting. Much Will need to make enough for just me like boys, more than 80% of girls expect to work full Don’t think I’ll need to, someone else will support me time as adults, and provide financially for themselves and their families.

Overall Impression of Business in America Today

% Very or Somewhat Favorable

Girls Boys “I’d like to be financially secure. Like I don’t 60 50 58% 58% want to have to depend on any man to 40 provide for me. I’d like to be the one who 43% 44% 30 provides, actually.” 20 - High School Girl 10 0

Small/family business Large business & corporations

6 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

Neutral-to-favorable views of business Somewhat surprisingly, especially given today’s business cli- Attitudes Towards Business in America mate and recent corporate scandals, more than 85% of the % Strongly or Somewhat Agree teenagers expressed a neutral-to-favorable perception of Girls Boys business. Contrary to earlier research,4 teens in our study 80 70 72% view large businesses and corporations more favorably than 60 68% 63% 61% small or family-owned businesses. 50 50% 49% 40

Approximately 70% of the teenagers surveyed understand 30 33% 32% that business contributes to society by providing jobs, 20 23% 19% goods and services. However, fewer believe that business 10 0 gives back to the community, cares about employees, or is honest and ethical. Provide jobs for people Do good things for communities Make things people want or need Honest and ethical Respected by others Business ranks low as a career choice Despite their generally positive views of business, working in the business world ranks low in boys’ and girls’ career Adult Career Choice (1st Response, Unprompted) aspirations. Only 15% of boys and 9% of girls sponta- neously list any type of business-related field as their first Girls Boys career choice. 6% 9% 6% 15% 7% 29% 37% 17% 49% 25%

Business Other** “It’s just kind of like whatever you can to get Science/Technology/Engineering Undecided money. The guy has ... his fingers crossed, so he Other Professions* * e.g. law, medicine etc probably did something bad ** e.g. professional sports, entertainment etc. in order to get money.” - High School Girl

4 Lake Snell Perry & Associates. Bringing Girls Into Corporate America-Lessons in Leadership and Success. New York, NY: Andersen, 2001. 7 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

GIRLS ON BUSINESS: A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

While teens share a number of similar traits in their future Importance in Future Job career choices, there are significant areas of difference

% Extremely or Very Important between girls and boys.

80 Girls Boys Pursuing distinct priorities 70 73% 75% Girls expect to interrupt their careers to care for children. 60 While most girls expect to work full time as adults, almost 50 56% 55% 55% 60% believe that they will need, or want, to take time off 40 43% from their job or career when they have children. Only 11% 30 20 of boys expect to take a break. 10 In addition, girls and boys differ markedly in what they 0 perceive will matter most to them in their future career. Boys Helping others Making lots of money express more interest in making lots of money, while girls Making the world a are more likely to place a higher importance on helping oth- better place ers and making the world a better place. These themes were strongly reflected in focus groups, in which girls made direct Career Interest (Prompted) connections between their aspirations to help others and % Extremely or Somewhat Interested their preferred careers. This helps us understand their affin- 60 Girls Boys ity for careers in law and medicine. 58% 50 Business losing potential female leaders 40 44% 42% Only 9% of girls compared to 15% of boys spontaneous- 30 30% 32% ly give business as their first career choice. When prompt- 20 25% ed, the level of interest increases, although girls continue to 20% 21% 10 report significantly lower interest than boys. Although entrepreneurship ranks highest for both out of all business- 0 related choices, girls are less interested in starting their Business or management Own business own business. Manager Sales & marketing Lack of knowledge and confidence shape girls’ choices Level of Perceived Ability (Compared to Other Kids in My Grade) Teens associate business with finance, accounting, and num- % Much or a Little Better bers. This was even more marked among girls, with 37% of girls stating that the first three jobs that came to mind in 80 Girls Boys business were accounting or finance-related, versus only 70 29% for boys. Focus groups with girls reinforced their 60 62% strong connection between business and money/financial- 50 59% 51% related topics. 40 45% 30 “[About being a doctor] 20 10 You’re actually making a difference. 0 Just you can change somebody’s life.” Managing money Understand and work with numbers - High School Girl

8 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

Numerical/financial literacy is often cited as a barrier for girls entering business. Almost 40% of girls say that math is How a Job in Business Would Make Me Feel their least favorite subject, versus 31% for boys. While both % Very or Somewhat boys and girls perceive financial literacy as important for business success, girls rate themselves lower in understand- 60 Girls Boys ing and working with numbers, and in managing money. 50 53% While more than one-third of boys believe they know a lot 48% or everything about business careers, only 17% of girls feel 40 43% 37% the same. 30 29% Girls are more ambivalent about business 20 17% In general, girls see fewer positive aspects in business careers 10 than boys. Girls perceive business careers as more stressful, less satisfying and less exciting than boys. 0 Excited Satisfied Relaxed In addition, girls tend to see business as constraining and inflexible, and not a place that is “for them.” In focus groups, a large number of girls talked about their negative Importance in Future Job perceptions of business. This included the “cubicle-culture,” % Extremely or Very Important which was also manifested as an uncreative environment where individuals are invisible and faceless. Many girls used words or images that described business as aggressive, com- 60 Girls Boys petitive and cut-throat. In all, 51% of girls, compared to 50 43% of boys, believe that U.S. businesses are “mostly run 51% by men.” 40 30 37% Few girls want to run the show 31% 20 Girls and boys are equally likely to be leaders of their clubs 22% 10 and teams. In addition, they rate themselves similarly on leadership skills. However, girls are less likely than boys to 0 aspire to leadership positions in their future careers. Focus Being in charge of Being my own boss groups with girls showed that many of them feel that busi- other people ness is “hard,” “complicated” and “risky.”

“All these business people that are just sort of “I’d probably find someone to help me wearing black suits and sort of have run my own business. Give everybody no faces, they just sort of blend in.” else the responsibility.” - Middle School Girl - High School Girl

9 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

THE TRIANGLE OF INFLUENCE

Families, schools and the media all play important roles in Sources of Career Advice (Parents) helping teens determine their future career direction. In our study teens were asked where they would go for career 80 Girls Boys advice. In addition, and in recognition of the impact of the 70 media on teens, we analyzed the content of top-rated TV 60 67% shows, magazines, movies and websites to ascertain how 64% business as a career is portrayed. 50 55% 40 48% Parents are primary influencers 30 20 Parents, especially mothers, are the key source of career 10 advice for girls. Boys are more likely than girls to seek their 0 father’s advice on careers. Mother Father Daughters’ happiness, education and future flexibility mat- (Note: > 1 response allowed) ter most to parents. In our survey, more than one-third of teenage girls say their parents want them to do “whatever makes me happy.” In focus groups, parents said they want “It’s hard to describe what I do. their daughters to be content, to have careers that excite I write things, I talk to people. them, and to keep their options open. Parents also highlight the importance of a well-rounded education and are resistant to And then I talk to people and I write things. too much specialization in the middle and high school years. Sometimes I go on trips and talk Parents in business careers were more positive about the to people; and when I come back, business world, but had difficulty explaining to their children exactly what their jobs entail. I write things.” - Father in business Schools as influencers Girls and boys rely on teachers and guidance counselors for career advice at about the same rate. Interestingly, girls are more likely than boys to say that they use school programs Sources of Career Advice (School) and the guidance office resources. Significant differences also emerged among different groups of teen girls. Most notably, 50 Girls Boys Hispanic Girls Hispanic girls are the most likely of all groups to use school

40 42% 42% resources for help in thinking about careers. 37% Focus group discussions with teachers revealed that their pri- 30 31% 32% 29% 29% 27% orities are not on career advice, but rather on quality educa- 20 23% tion and in helping students uncover their own strengths. 10 Because schools face resource constraints, teachers believe that adding more in-school programs on careers could lead 0 to overload both for teachers and students. At the same time, Teacher Guidance counselor School programs they see benefit in offering non-curricular activities (espe- (Note: > 1 response allowed) cially speakers) that expose teens to a range of different career options.

10 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

Although there were some notable exceptions, teachers in general have poor-to-neutral impressions of business and Sources of Career Advice (Media) business careers. Many use words such as “unethical” and Girls Boys “sleazy” to describe business people. Educators and admin- 80 75% istrators from schools with strong business education or 70 69% internship programs, as well as those from lower-income 60 areas, were more positively disposed towards business. 52% 50 48% However, even the more positively inclined teachers had little or no experience outside teaching and professed little 40 30 29% knowledge about business. 22% 20 20% 13% The media and business careers 10 The Internet is widely used by all groups in our survey, with 0 boys reporting higher use than girls. Despite concerns about Internet Advertisements the “digital divide,” more than 65% of teens of all Newspaper/magazines Movies & Television racial/ethnic backgrounds will use the Internet for career (Note: > 1 response allowed) advice. Other media are used for career information less fre- quently, but with significantly higher usage by boys in all categories measured.

“I’ve always felt this way but recent events only confirm it … connotations for me are totally slimy, slick, all of that. I mean, it’s all unethical. People not thinking about people. People thinking about the bottom line. People making choices that have nothing to do with human beings.” - Teacher

Silence Speaks: Media Presents Few Role Models of Women in Business

The average teen watches television more than 24 hours As part of this study, we analyzed popular TV shows, a week, and this doesn’t include the time spent watching magazines, movies and websites for their content on busi- movies or videos, or surfing the Web. Taking all forms ness careers. We found few depictions of business peo- together, the number of hours that teens are exposed to ple. When they are present, business people tend to be media is likely higher than the number of hours spent in male. Moreover, their jobs are vague or humorous, and school. While it is difficult to quantify the effects of heavy peripheral to the plot line. This is in sharp contrast to media exposure, common sense tells us that the cumula- shows that center on other professions such as medicine tive effect of messages heard must be significant. or law. More surprisingly, magazine articles and websites that focus on career options for teen girls also have very little information on business-related careers.

“The one thing that made me think of being a lawyer “I’m positive I know what I want to do, I want to was that Legally Blond movie.” become an obstetrician… I watched the Discovery - Middle School Girl Health Channel a lot during the summer.” - High School Girl

Media Content Analysis conducted by Simmons College School of Management MBA students: Tiffany Flik Calcutt, Whitney Goodhue and Karen Worden 11 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

GIRLS ATTRACTED TO BUSINESS: WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

While girls in our study are in general less interested in busi- Influential Factors: Interest in Business ness careers than boys, more than 250 girls listed business as their first career choice. This allowed us to analyze the back- Girls Interested Total GIrls grounds, activities and interests of girls who are predisposed 60 in Business to choose business as a career. 50 52% 40 Responses by these girls are highly consistent. Girls listing 39% 30 36% business as their first choice career also rate specific business 30% 28% 20 careers more highly and are more knowledgeable of, and 20% positive in, their attitudes towards business. 10 0 Girls with parents in business show more interest Father works in business Mother works in business Girls most interested in business are more likely than other Median income over $80K girls to have parents with business careers. In addition, girls expressing interest in business careers are more likely to be Girls Interested Total GIrls 50 in Business from higher-income areas. While mothers are the major source of influence, these girls are also more likely than 40 43% 42% other girls to seek their father’s career advice. 30 27% 20 Girls interested in business participate in outside activities 19% 10 Girls most interested in business careers often work at a job

0 outside of school and participate in clubs, teams or social Mother is adult with most influence groups. These girls also tend to hold more leadership posi- Father is adult with most influence tions in the organizations to which they belong.

Girls Interested Total GIrls 100 in Business

80 82% “I want to go into business … I’m not really sure 77% 60 what field … My Dad’s a venture 40 49% 41% 41% capitalist…so I know a lot about [business].” 33% 20 - High School Girl 0

Have job outside of school Belong to clubs Hold leadership position in clubs

12 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

Business interest increases with age and perceived leadership skills Adult Career Choice (1st Response, Unprompted) More girls in higher grades than lower grades were interested in business careers. Interestingly, this was not true for Girls Grades 7-9 Girls Grades 10-12 girls making other career choices. 5% 6% 6% 12% Girls in the survey were asked to rate themselves on a set of 8% skills and abilities commonly associated with business suc- 6% cess, including problem solving, working with numbers, 30% 28% organizing projects, speaking and writing well and decision 51% 48% making. Aggregate scores for girls interested in business are higher than those for girls in general.

All Business Careers Other** Girls interested in business mirror boys Science/Tech./Engin. Undecided Other Professions* When examined as a group, girls with the most interest in * e.g. law, medicine etc business careers are strikingly similar to boys in what they ** e.g. professional sports, entertainment etc. value in a future career, and significantly different from girls Self Rating on Leadership Skills interested in other careers. (Compared to Other Kids in My Grade)

Girls Interested in Business Total Girls 2% 3%

“You have financial freedom when you have 34% 53% 45% your own business … you get to decide. 64% You’re powerful, and you get to teach people what you know.” Aggregate Score Low Medium High - Middle School Girl

Importance in Future Job % extremely or very important

Girls Interested “I think the atmosphere around me will always in Business Total Boys Total Girls 80 be changing, always different 70 73% 75% 73% 60 things to do. And that excites me.” 60% 50 55% 56% 55% 40 43% - High School Girl 40% 30 37% (interested in business career) 31% 20 22% 10 0 Making lots of money Making the world a better place Being in charge of other people Helping other people

13 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

DIVERSITY: A RANGE OF PERCEPTIONS

Girls are not a monolithic group. Those from different racial “I want to be my own boss. And do things for and ethnic backgrounds have varying perceptions of business and differing career expectations and goals. We looked myself … That’s when I’ve reached like at the perspectives of girls from the four largest racial/ethnic my highest level of success, when I’m taking groups. Caution must be taken, however, in interpreting the findings on African American and Asian American girls, charge of everything, where I’m the boss.” because these samples were relatively small (169 and 143 - High School Girl respectively). Findings for White/Caucasian and Hispanic (African American) girls are based on larger sample sizes (1680 and 530) and are more robust.

Differing business career goals and attitudes Adult Career Choice (Girls) (1st Response, Unprompted) While most girls expect to work full time and to support themselves as adults, girls of color place more importance African Amer. Hispanic than White/Caucasian girls on making money as a desired trait of their future jobs and report higher expectations for 1% 9% 2% 6% future financial responsibilities. In addition, they are less 5% 7% likely to believe that having children will interrupt their 35% 33% careers.

50% 51%

Asian White/ Differing Career Goals and Attitudes Amer. Caucasian Girls African Amer. Hispanic Asian Amer. White/Caucasian 9% 7% 16% 7% Importance in future job: make lots of money 77% 80% 64% 47% 7% (% extremely or very important)

29% 12% 27% Will need to support myself and my family 85% 86% 83% 77% 36% 50% Will mostly have a full time job 89% 79% 90% 80% If have children, will continue to work at 38% 37% 36% 24% All Business Careers Other** my job Science/Tech./Engin. Undecided Other Professions*

* e.g. law, medicine etc ** e.g. professional sports, entertainment etc.

14 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

When asked about their future careers, Asian American girls were the most likely among all groups to list a business Interest in Starting Own Business (Prompted) career. Hispanic girls were the least likely. However, when Girls, % extremely or somewhat interested asked specifically about starting their own business, 60 Hispanics and African American girls were more excited. 50 Similarly, these two groups rated “being their own boss” as 56% 40 50% more important in their future careers than did other groups. 41% 30 39% All respondents were asked to rate themselves on a number of dimensions related to leadership and success in business. 20 Hispanic girls rate themselves lowest of all groups on these 10 skills, and African American girls rate themselves highest. In 0 addition, Hispanic girls are least likely to hold outside jobs African Amer. Asian Amer. Hispanic White/Caucasian or participate in clubs, teams or social groups.

Importance of Being Own Boss Influential Factors Girls, % extremely or very important Girls African Amer. Hispanic Asian Amer. White/Caucasian 50 High self–rating in 65% 46% 55% 54% 50% leadership skills 40 46% Hold leadership positions in teams, clubs, 49% 31% 45% 42% or social groups 30 36% Have job outside 30% 18% 21% 37% 20 of school 23% Belong to clubs, teams, or social groups 79% 38% 89% 88% 10 0 African Amer. Asian Amer. Hispanic White/Caucasian

“And actually when you have your own business, you feel stronger, like “I’m hoping to have something to do with ‘ooh, I’m macho,’ you know.” business, an entrepreneur kind - Middle School Girl (Latina) of thing … I just look up to people who are entrepreneurs.” - High School Girl (African American)

Note on Sample: White/Caucasian girls are more likely to be from areas with higher median incomes and to have fathers in business and other professional occupations than girls in the other groups. The disparity in parental occupation was especially evident when White/Caucasian girls were compared to Hispanic girls, who had the lowest percentage of parents in the professions, including business. In addition, White/Caucasian girls are more likely to come from two-parent families. 15 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

METHODOLOGY

The conclusions presented are based on an eight-page writ- Sample Breakdown ten survey conducted in April-June 2002 of over 5000 middle and high school students. The sampling unit was the indi- Boys 1264 (29%) vidual school, and a total of 29 schools agreed to participate. Girls 3028 (71%) Each was asked to administer the survey to both boys and Grades 7-9 2067 (48%) girls across all grades within their schools. In order to ensure Grades 10-12 2225 (52%) statistically valid sample numbers from each of several sub- groups, quota sampling was used. Four geographic regions Public Schools 2931 (68%) were represented (New England, Illinois, California and Private Schools 1361 (32%) Texas/Florida/Tennessee), as well as both public and private and coed and single sex schools. In addition, schools were Hispanic 829 (19%) recruited from urban, suburban and rural areas. White/Caucasian 2250 (52%) In all, 4292 surveys were analyzed. The robust size of the African-American 243 (6%) final sample allowed us to break it down into sub-samples Asian-American 204 (5%) for the purposes of comparing responses across groups. All Other 362 (8%) Unless otherwise noted, all differences in means and per- Prefer not to answer/NR 404 (9%) centages reported are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Teen boys are underrepresented in the final sample. Because the data from the male respondents were used primarily for comparison purposes, and hence would not undergo the same depth of analysis as the data from female respondents, only 50% of the responses from boys were analyzed. Because we used a nonprobability method of sampling, the final results cannot be viewed as representative of the population of school-age children in the United States. Compared to the general population, students living in middle income zip codes, students from private schools and Hispanic and White/Caucasian students are over-represented. African American students are under-represented. In addition to the written survey, a total of 17 focus groups were conducted with middle and high school girls (9), parents of teenage girls (4) and middle and high school teachers (4). In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 education specialists and educators. Finally, a content analysis of the images of business and business people in media popular with teenage girls was completed in the spring and summer of 2002.

16 Teen Girls on Business: Are They Being Empowered?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Lead Authors The Committee of 200 Staff Patricia A. Wier Deborah Marlino, Ph.D. Meghan G. O’Brien Professor of Management Director Alinda H. Wikert Simmons College School PR & Communications Trisha Wilson of Management Urvashi Verma Agnieszka Winkler Fiona Wilson Director Assistant Professor Membership Services Maggie Wilderotter Simmons College School of Management Alison Segal Former Director Membership Services Participating Schools Lead Institutional Advisors Lastly, but no means least, 29 public Anna K. Lloyd Frank Sommerfield and private schools around the United Executive Director & President Sommerfield Communications States agreed to participate in our The Committee of 200 study. This research would not have Deborah Merrill-Sands, Ph.D. Simmons College School of been possible without the dedication Associate Dean Management Faculty and Staff and enthusiasm of the many princi- Simmons College School Patricia O’Brien, D.B.A. pals, heads of schools, faculty, staff of Management Dean and students of these institutions. We Andrea Bruce are incredibly aware of the resource Director of Marketing and Admissions constraints all schools face, and we thank them for making time for this A large number of additional people Diane Millikan study. contributed to the development, Director of Public Relations, implementation and analysis of this Simmons College Schools that asked to have their study. We are deeply indebted to Kathleen McGoldrick name published all for their tremendous support and Director Cristo Rey Jesuit High School collaborative approach. Executive Education Episcopal School of Dallas

Steering Committee Natalie Mendelsohn Matus The Girls’ Middle School Connie K. Duckworth Manager Harpeth Hall School Board Chair Corporate Sponsorship The Committee of 200 Hebron High School C200 Members Judy H. Mello We also wish to thank the following Highland Park High School Board Chair C200 members for their invaluable The Hockaday School The Committee of 200 Foundation assistance in identifying and recruiting schools for the study: Independent Day School

Martha H.W. Crowninshield Frieda Rapoport Caplan John C. Fremont High School C200 Karen B. Caplan Lake Forest Academy Gail Deegan Doris K. Christopher Lake Forest Country Day School Simmons College Board of Trustees Andrea Cunningham Lake Forest High School District 115 Eileen M. Friars C200 and Simmons College Patty DeDominic The Latin School of Chicago Board of Trustees Nancy S. Donovan Miss Porter’s School Jacqueline C. Morby Cynthia Joan Driskill C200 and Simmons College Naperville North High School Board of Trustees Judith S. Fox Newton North High School Linda K. Paresky, Ph.D. Christina A. Gold New Trier High School C200 and Simmons College Board of Trustees Ellen M. Hancock The Nueva School Sharon P. Whiteley Lyda Hill Rivendell Academy – Rivendell Interstate School District Chair, Communications Ann S. Hoenig C200 The San Miguel School: Michele J. Hooper Back-of-the-Yards Campus Simmons College School of Judith S. Johnson Management MBA Shackleton School Student Research Assistants Barbara Levy Kipper Sharon High School Tiffany Flik Calcutt Betsy Wood Knapp Walther Lutheran High School Whitney Goodhue Ellen V.B. Lapham Wellesley High School Oladele Mogaji Alexandra Lebenthal Yolo Junior High School Adele Stafford Cece Smith Karen Worden Margie A. Tingley Design and Production Ruth LaGue, Design/Layout Erica Saperstein, Editor 17 409 Commonwealth Avenue 625 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 500 Boston, Massachusetts 02215 Chicago, Illinois 60611-3108

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