Ask not What you can do for Women, ask What Women can do for you - Building Gender Balanced Business

South Korea’s educational system is a real meritocracy, providing the country with intelligent and qualified workers of both sexes.

The women do not thrive in South Korea’s business environment.

In the World Economic Forum’s latest Gender Gap Report , South Korea ranked 104th.

As William Pesek, a columnist for Bloomberg News, aptly puts it: “Economies that underutilize [women] do so to their detriment.”

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Hanshin University found that in medium to large companies working in Korea, a 10% increase in female managers engendered a 1% increase in profits generated from assets.

If South Korea doesn’t recognize the potential of their women, other people do.

American and Korean researchers released a study explaining the competitive advantage of exploiting untapped talent.

The study finds that foreign multinationals are hiring qualified Korean women for managerial positions and enjoying the benefits.

Japan is another example of how gender diversity can benefit a country.

Kathy Matsui, a Goldman Sachs strategist, stipulates that if the Japanese female employment rate was at the same level as the male one, the country’s GDP would increase by up to 15%.

The economic conjectures clearly point towards the importance of gender diversity, who will react appropriately and enjoy a definite edge over their competition?

Bloomberg News