Elisabeth Kelan
Encyclopedia
Dr Elisabeth Kelan is an Associate Professor
in the Department of Management at King’s College London. Prior to that she was Senior Research Fellow
in the Centre for Women in Business
at London Business School
, founded by Laura D’Andrea Tyson. She also worked at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
where she received her PhD
.
Elisabeth Kelan is a leading scholar on gender
, generations and leadership
in organizations
. The Times
described her as an up and coming management thinker. She is known for having coined the term Gender Fatigue to denote that whilst gender discrimination continues to exist in organizations, people struggle to deny its existence to construct their workplaces as gender neutral.
professions and on gender in MBA
education. She also led a project that explored what Generation Y/Millennials
want from work. Her interests lie in the area of identity
in organizations and organizational cultures. She is particularly interested in the subtle effects of stereotypes
and inequality
. Her current work looks at gender and generational diversity, corporate responsibility
and leadership development
.
in Tunis
2005, the Women as Global Leaders conference in Abu Dhabi
2006, the United Nations
in New York
2007, the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society
in Deauville
2007 and 2008, and the United Nations Global Compact’s Women’s Day Commemoration in New York
in 2009 and 2010. During the 2009 event held to adopt and implement the UN Global Compact Calvert Women’s Principles, she spoke on why gender is a crucial part of corporate social responsibility.
She gave further keynote addresses to the Mayor of London
& Greater London Authority's
Women in London’s Economy programme held at the Merchant Taylors' Hall
, and to the European Central Bank
in Frankfurt
.
In June 2008, she organised the “Humanising Work” symposium with Judy Wajcman
, then Visiting Professor at the Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business at London Business School. The groundbreaking seminar attempted to expose business academics and practitioners to current research and knowledge in the social sciences
and saw two talks by (Lord) Anthony Giddens
and Richard Sennett
. Stefan Stern from the Financial Times
likened this event to an academic version of the Rumble in the Jungle and referred to it as the "Dialectic in the Park
" – a reference to London Business School's Regent's Park campus. He authored several articles on the topic of "What sociologists can teach managers" discussing his impression that sociologists could help you run your company better than management gurus.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in the Department of Management at King’s College London. Prior to that she was Senior Research Fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
in the Centre for Women in Business
Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business
The Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business is based at London Business School and was established as a joint partnership between London Business School and Lehman Brothers, the investment bank....
at London Business School
London Business School
London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London, located in central London, beside Regent's Park...
, founded by Laura D’Andrea Tyson. She also worked at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
where she received her PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
.
Elisabeth Kelan is a leading scholar on gender
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
, generations and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
in organizations
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described her as an up and coming management thinker. She is known for having coined the term Gender Fatigue to denote that whilst gender discrimination continues to exist in organizations, people struggle to deny its existence to construct their workplaces as gender neutral.
Research
Kelan has conducted research on gender in high-techHigh tech
High tech is technology that is at the cutting edge: the most advanced technology currently available. It is often used in reference to micro-electronics, rather than other technologies. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech or high-technology...
professions and on gender in MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
education. She also led a project that explored what Generation Y/Millennials
Generation Y
Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation , Generation Next, Net Generation, or Echo Boomers, describes the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when the Millennial generation starts and ends, and commentators have used birth dates ranging somewhere...
want from work. Her interests lie in the area of identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
in organizations and organizational cultures. She is particularly interested in the subtle effects of stereotypes
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
and inequality
Inequality
In mathematics, an inequality is a statement how the relative size or order of two objects, or about whether they are the same or not .*The notation a b means that a is greater than b....
. Her current work looks at gender and generational diversity, corporate responsibility
Corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...
and leadership development
Leadership development
Leadership development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. These activities have ranged from MBA style programs offered at university business schools to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats.- Developing...
.
Work
Dr Kelan has presented her research at various prestigious institutions and occasions such as at the World Summit on the Information SocietyWorld Summit on the Information Society
The World Summit on the Information Society was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis...
in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
2005, the Women as Global Leaders conference in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
2006, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
2007, the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society
Women's Forum for the Economy and Society
The Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society was created in 2005 by Aude Zieseniss de Thuin. It aims to promote women’s vision on the key social and economic issues of our times...
in Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
2007 and 2008, and the United Nations Global Compact’s Women’s Day Commemoration in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2009 and 2010. During the 2009 event held to adopt and implement the UN Global Compact Calvert Women’s Principles, she spoke on why gender is a crucial part of corporate social responsibility.
She gave further keynote addresses to the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
& Greater London Authority's
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
Women in London’s Economy programme held at the Merchant Taylors' Hall
Merchant Taylors' Hall, London
The Merchant Taylors' Hall, London is the seat of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London surviving from Mediaeval times....
, and to the European Central Bank
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank is the institution of the European Union that administers the monetary policy of the 17 EU Eurozone member states. It is thus one of the world's most important central banks. The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt,...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
In June 2008, she organised the “Humanising Work” symposium with Judy Wajcman
Judy Wajcman
Judy Wajcman is a Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.She was formerly a Professor of Sociology in the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. She has been a Visiting Professor at the Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business...
, then Visiting Professor at the Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business at London Business School. The groundbreaking seminar attempted to expose business academics and practitioners to current research and knowledge in the social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and saw two talks by (Lord) Anthony Giddens
Anthony Giddens
Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens is a British sociologist who is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29...
and Richard Sennett
Richard Sennett
Richard Sennett is the Centennial Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and University Professor of the Humanities at New York University...
. Stefan Stern from the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
likened this event to an academic version of the Rumble in the Jungle and referred to it as the "Dialectic in the Park
Dialectic in the Park
"Dialectic in the Park" is a name coined by Stefan Stern from the Financial Times for the “Humanising Work” symposium held in June 2008 at the Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business at London Business School...
" – a reference to London Business School's Regent's Park campus. He authored several articles on the topic of "What sociologists can teach managers" discussing his impression that sociologists could help you run your company better than management gurus.
Select bibliography
- Kelan, E.K. and Dunkley Jones, R. (2010) 'Gender and the MBA', In: Academy of Management Learning and Education, 9:1, 26-43.
- Kelan, E.K. (2010) 'Gender Logic and (Un)Doing Gender at Work', In: Gender, Work and Organization, 17:2, 174-194.
- Kelan, E.K. (2009) Performing Gender at Work, Basingstoke: Palgrave.
- Kelan, E.K. (2009) 'Gender Fatigue - The Ideological Dilemma of Gender Neutrality and Discrimination in Organisations', In: Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 26:3, 197-210.
- Kelan, E.K. (2008) 'Gender, Risk and Employment Insecurity: The Masculine Breadwinner Subtext', In: Human Relations, 61:9, 1171-1202.
- Kelan, E.K. (2008) 'The Discursive Construction of Gender in Contemporary Management Literature', In: Journal of Business Ethics, 18:2, 427 – 445.
- Kelan, E.K. (2008) 'Emotions in a Rational Profession: The Gendering of Skills in ICT work', In: Gender, Work and Organization, 15:1, 49-71.
- Kelan, E.K. (2008) 'Bound by Stereotypes?', In: Business Strategy Review, 19:1, 4-7.
- Kelan, E.K. (2008) 'Emotions in a Rational Profession: The Gendering of Skills in ICT Work', In: Gender, Work and Organization, 15:1, 49-71.
- Kelan, E.K. (2006) 'Zur (De)Konstruktion von Geschlecht in neuer Managementliteratur' ((De)Constructing Gender in Newer Management Literature). In: Bendl, R. (ed.) Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung, Teil 1: Verortung geschlechterkonstituierender (Re-)Produktionsprozesse, Frankfurt/Main: Peter Lang.