More Women, Better Business

" Women of women charge on Wall Street would we have seen the same massive financial collapse on the same scandals. On next guest says no. She has adopted of Debra spot the president of Barnard College the women's college right here in New York City. And president thank you very much indeed for joining us we appreciate -- it's my pleasure thank you you wrote on that a quote now all the perpetrators of this greatest economic mess in eight decades on men. Why are you picking on men and attaching demeaning descriptions to one agenda."

" I think -- sang at the moment is is the pair of fact that all of the perpetrators of this scandal where in fact now. And I think it's something we should be looking at as as part of the forensics as we try to figure out just what went wrong here."

" We do cabinets and my sister -- is that there are indeed few women in trading in the financial arena that freeing women in the top executive positions in financial companies. That is that old because they have been deliberately excluded. Or is that something else."

" No -- reality here is actually quite complicated. I think in the old days of thirty or forty years ago women were explicitly barred. From positions at the top levels of finance I don't think that's true so much. I like today but what we're seeing nevertheless is that very very few women do reach the top levels one and real test of -- may have to do with. With -- cities that made it linked in some way to gender differences the rule one -- hold."

" Sacramento I do apologize for breaking in but you obviously you're a former Harvard professor. You and about Larry Summers who stood up and he said maybe the reason why women don't appear the strongly in mathematics and science is because of gender differences. He was fired for that -- saying exactly the same thing."

" Yeah I think the the Larry -- situation was actually quite more complicated panel back. But I do think there's there's some very interesting research out there serious research done by serious scientists. Saying not normative belief that women are better or worse than men or that men are better or worse than women. But that there may be differences in how they perceive the reality and and how they operate and one of the areas where it does appear there are some differences. Is it is with propensity to take risk and if it's true that women are less likely than men to take very large risks. It would make some sense why we didn't see lots of women making the kind of decisions and taking the risks on Wall Street that -- fact wound up getting us into trouble I'd take -- point believe me I take your point but doesn't that -- directly counter to everything with from old feminist -- for the past half century. No I don't think so at all I think a great deal of feminist thinking over the past forty years has just -- to make sure that women have the opportunity. To enter whatever careers and professions they want him. And we've achieved a lot of that I think a new wave of feminism is going to be less clinical less political and more about actually thinking about. Differences. In how the work force the the workplace treats men and women way to say -- and now look at any point in the last twenty years."

" If any Manuel said women are not equipped to do that job. Because of their agenda that not equipped to do than they can't do that don't they don't do that job very well you find it you'll gone."

" But this -- making a fundamentally different argument when are saying is that there may be things that women in fact to better. The men women may be more attuned to so looking at risk and be wary of risk. And typically it had a few more women. In top level positions in Wall Street that we may have had a different outcome so you are admitting that there are some things that women don't do as well as men and that gets you five. No I'm saying that they may be differences in how women and men perceived risk. And in my role as an academic I think we should be looking at those differences because I think they can help but think about running businesses banner I'm cheering you -- but do I have free speech in the workplace I submit to you ma'am but I do not. Well I don't know about your workplace. But I think everyone certainly should have free speech to make not not ideological arguments but. But factual arguments if I want to say madam."

" You ought to president of Barnard College you're not intellectually equipped to do that if I said that on the -- and people thought I meant it I am gone."

" Well you you may be I don't know about your your workplace policies. But I think academics for sure have to be able to do kind of academic research to say. Are there ways in which different people perceived risks of certain that Larry Summers have these day you -- keeper and -- president of the object."

" That's always sad that you all he just posed an intellectual idea but he's behind it you're you're hall but you're -- public professor did you vote for him yes -- look."

" I was not -- voting position on the board a bit would you have voted for a yes or no. You know I I don't I don't think I want to comment and that I will say that that there are things that you -- say in an academic paper that you might -- not say as the president of the university of -- the research that Larry Summers was referring -- is very -- a valid and important research to -- is madam president it was a -- and we thank you very much for being with us today thank --"