Millennial Men Taking on Parental Leave, and More – Toronto News
Toronto’s finest business schools have been contributing to social, political, and scientific advances this week. We’ve laid out the highlights below.
How Testosterone May Be Influencing Men’s Purchasing Decisions – The Globe and Mail
Nature Communications recently published research from Western University Canada’s Ivey Business School that explored the relationship between testosterone levels and luxury brand purchases in men. The study finds that levels of the hormone, typically associated with sex drive and masculine features, could play a role in predicting shopping choices.
The study involved 243 men between the ages of 18 and 55, divided into two groups. The men in one group were given doses of testosterone, and those in the other group received a placebo. Those with higher levels of testosterone were more likely to purchase high-end brands than those with lower levels of the hormone. Researchers posited that this is due to an evolutionary drive to demonstrate high social status, and therefore a high mate value.
According to the study, testosterone, “elevates men’s desire to promote their social status through economic consumption.”
You can read more about the study here.
How Millennial Men Can Champion Workplace Equality – Forbes
Though, externally, it seems society has made remarkable strides toward gender equality, subconscious bias is more difficult to measure. Harvard’s Project Implicit study, however, attempts to gain data about implicit gender bias. Nearly 80 percent of participants were more comfortable associating men with the work and public spheres and women with the domestic spheres than vice versa.
According to the research, working mothers tend to be faced with skepticism surrounding their commitment and ability to do their jobs when they return from parental leave. However, millennial fathers, may have the chance to help alter this perspective. In her Forbes article, Mary Beth Ferrante sites the work of Erin Reid, Associate Professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business. Her work explains the concept of breadsharers, or, “husbands who value enabling each partner to pursue their work and family goals.”
Erin Reid, Associate Professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, notes that the more millennial men take parental leave, the more normalized the practice becomes / Photo via gsb.stanford.edu
Milliennial fathers are more open to breadsharing, and could thus influence the way new mothers are seen in the workplace. Ferrante insists that it is essential for men to take their full parental leave in order to challenge implicit bias surrounding the roles of men and women in the workplace and at home.
You can read Ferrante’s full piece on millennial men influencing parental leave here.
What is the Most Democratic and Effective Way to Govern a City the Size and Economic Import of Toronto? – The Globe and Mail
Richard Florida, professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management, and Alan Broadbent, Chair of Avana Capital and Maytree, recently co-authored an article for The Globe and Mail that explores Toronto’s future in the wake of Doug Ford’s announcement that he plans to drastically reduce the size of Toronto’s city council.
With different parties vying for a say in how Toronto ought be governed moving forward, the co-authors insisted that, “The province and the country as a whole can’t afford to have an economic entity of this size and economic importance kicked around like a proverbial political football.” Florida and Broadbent advocate for finding a system that would empower the city rather than dividing it.
The two say:
“We need to create a new governance system that enables Toronto to truly govern itself, act on its strengths and address its many problems and challenges. The future prosperity of our city, province and nation depends on it. It’s an issue that must be front and centre in this mayor’s race and beyond.”
You can read more about Toronto’s economic future here.
York Schulich Alum Designs for Meghan Markle, and More – Toronto News
Representatives from Toronto’s top business schools have been making the news this week. See what they’ve been up to below.
Canadian Designer Bojana Sentaler Goes Global After Meghan and Kate Made Her Coats Famous – Notable Life
Bojana Sentaler, graduate of York University’s Schulich School of Business, has attained enviable success in fashion design after both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were seen wearing coats from her collection. After years in the corporate world, Sentaler moved in a different direction, and decided to pursue her passion for design. Her business acumen was not wasted in her new field, as Sentaler quickly identified a need in Canada for outerwear that balanced elegance and warmth. She filled this need using alpaca fabric, which she discovered on a trip to Peru. In a recent interview, Sentaler said:
“There are some truly brilliant designers here in Canada, that deserve to be recognized on a global platform. But first our consumers need to support Canadian by proudly wearing Canadian, and our industry as a whole needs to support and recognize Canadian potential.”
Learn more about Sentaler’s journey here.
CMHC Moves to Make It Easier for Self-Employed to Get a Mortgage – CBC News
Traditionally, self-employed people in Canada have encountered more difficulty getting mortgages, making it much more complicated for them to purchase a home. However, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) has made changes that will increase the flexibility of mortgage grants. Lenders can now use factors such as predictable earnings and previous training and education to justify giving a mortgage to someone who is self-employed.
Cynthia Holmes, Chair of the Real Estate Management Department at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, was optimistic about the changes, particularly insofar as they might help younger professionals lay down roots more quickly.
“This change could especially help young self-employed people access a mortgage more quickly, which supports innovation and entrepreneurship,” Holmes says to CBC News.
Learn more about the CMHC’s changes here.
All Work And No Play Can Make Us Less Productive, Research Shows – Australia Financial Review
A forthcoming study has demonstrated that long hours and stressful work have long-term negative impact on employees. The study (“Implications of work effort and discretion for employee wellbeing and career-related outcomes”) demonstrated that running employees ragged could have long term effects on their health and success.
According to the study, which was authored by Argyro Avgoustaki and Hans Frankfort, working more hours at a higher intensity does not enhance career prospects down the line. Efforts to protect the health of employees have generally emphasized shorter hours, but the study shows that controlling the intensity of the workload may actually be more important. Other researchers in the field have shown support for this perspective.
Erin Reid, associate professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, co-authored an article with Lakshmi Ramarajan, assistant professor at Harvard Business School, for the Harvard Business Review. According to the article, “Valuing work time over work product—which motivates people to deceive others about how many hours they’re clocking—is an easy trap to fall into, especially for professionals, whose knowledge-based work is difficult to evaluate.”
Read more about the new research here.
DeGroote Looks Back on a Successful 2016
Each year, McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business takes a look at the success of the previous year. In 2016, the school had much to celebrate, including five new faculty members, the inaugural EMBA in Digital Transformation class and more. And all of it helped the school pursue its mission of transforming business and society. Let’s take a look at a few of the 2016 highlights. Continue reading…
