Dianne Bevelander

Dianne Lynne Bevelander (born in Durban, South Africa, 17 June 1959 – 29 August 2021) was a South African academic. She was the founder and Executive Director of the Erasmus Centre for Women and Organisations (ECWO) and Professor of Management Education with a focus on Women in Business at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). She was a pioneer of gender equality there, as she established the first all-women leadership elective as part of RSM’s MBA programmes in 2011.

Dianne Bevelander in 2017

Quotes

"Interview with Dianne Bevelander, Erasmus centre for Women and Organisations (ECWO)"

[1] Interview with Dianne Bevelander, Erasmus centre for Women and Organisations (ECWO)

• The issue is that women have to realise how phenomenal, creative and innovative they are. We don’t believe that we need to “fix” women for success in the corporate world. Rather, we need to get them to appreciate their potential and their power.

• I want to help women achieve their career goals and navigate obstacles, and provide our alumnae with ongoing education and the opportunity to share their experiences.

• In corporate culture there is a language of gender bias that we are unaware of: it’s called “benevolent sexism”.’ An example of this is when a male colleague or supervisor refers to a highly trained, qualified female engineer as “honey” or “meisje”. ‘Everyone acts as if it’s okay. It’s not. Deconstruct it. It’s not being friendly. It’s a power thing.

• I’m always slightly embarrassed thinking back to how I just didn’t see things that are often blindingly obvious to me today. For instance, the way business education often perpetuates gender bias, through texts, cases, business speakers, and even faculty. The turning point came when I undertook research into social networks amongst our MBA students. I wanting to see if there was real collaboration amongst the extremely diverse student population in the RSM classroom. Were the Japanese working with the Spanish? Were the Nigerians socialising with the Dutch? Were the Mexicans exploring innovative ideas with the Chinese?
  • [2] Reflecting on the time as Executive Director and Associate Dean of MBA Programmes at RSM, where the vision for ECWO first began to take root.

• The results of the research showed that women skewed towards men in trust situations at work. The question I had asked was, if you had a risky project, who would you ask to be on your team, and many women chose men. At first, I blamed the women. This is ridiculous; I wanted to say to them! Open your eyes! Thankfully, we had some very good reviewers who thought that the results of the research were good but suggested that a more critical appraisal was necessary.
  • [3] A surprising yet significant insight emerged from her study.

• I wanted to show people that although I had cancer, was not ill. I was still able to add value and do things in spite of the chemo and the damned tumours it was desperately fighting. This was important to me because a cancer diagnosis often gets one marginalised.
  • [4] Unleashing her inner warrior to take on cancer with courage and conviction.

• Many women stay in job or remain in a toxic environment because they are scared. My message to them is do not sell out who they are in exchange for safety. It takes courage to move because it takes you outside your comfort zone, especially the first time you do it. However, you will soon realise that your world does not collapse when you find the courage to change and get off the hamster wheel.
• Throughout my life, I have had great mentors and sponsors who believed in me, probably more than I believed in myself. They gave me the courage to do what I wanted to do.
• If you cannot find something positive to say about another woman, say nothing at all.
• Go out of your way to find reasons to amplify the good work women in your organisation and network are doing.
• Your credibility is built when others speak positively about you. Do the same for them whenever, and wherever, you can.
• You can lead from wherever you are. Even if you are in a junior position, you can mentor and speak positively about other women. It is wrong to think that you can only lead when you are in a leadership role.
• Leadership is about helping reveal the talents that everyone is born with. As women, our talents are frequently ignored or overlooked. As a leader, and as colleagues and friends, you can help reveal these talents and give people the space, encouragement and courage to explore them. This is what I have built ECWO on: giving women the research-backed understanding that it is not their fault if they are in a toxic environment or if their boss does not want to promote them.
  • [5] Sharing some of what she learned since starting ECWO.

• It will push women to move outside their comfort zone and give them the confidence to be less modest and allow their talent to shine. They will learn to push boundaries in innovation, accept risk, and welcome leadership roles.
  • [6] Dianne observes that undertaking an MBA could help women to narrow the ‘gap’.

• The bias against women’s progression is more of a systemic problem. What needs to change are the social views and attitudes in society that hold women back from taking leading roles in organizations of all types.
  • [7] Dianne cautions that low confidence is just one factor in a cultural milieu that holds women back from positions of power.

• I would advise that women remain aware of gender stereotypes and the implicit bias that this produces—in others and in themselves. They should not be afraid to debate and question issues of diversity within and beyond the classroom.
  • [8] Dianne believes that MBA programs offer a great space to open up dialogues about gender inclusion.

• An MBA is a movable asset, you take it with you wherever you go.
  • [9] Dianne explains the viability of having an MBA.

• An MBA is truly a transformational experience. You learn so much about yourself, you gain business knowledge, and you make invaluable and lasting friendships. I would encourage more women to think about doing an MBA.
  • [10] Dianne encourages women to look to the future.