This is the title of Laboratorio Armonia’s next research headed by Simona Cuomo of SDA Bocconi. Laboratorio Armonia is an SDA Bocconi initiative with the aim of demonstrating that diversity, especially in regards to women in the workplace, is a positive influence that produces economic benefits to the companies that welcome and foster it, while those that resist or ignore it pay the price.

When one thinks of the cost, two things come into mind. Firstly the economic cost for the company should the female worker become pregnant and secondly the cost i.e. the career risks not only if she should become pregnant but also for the fact that if she is of a certain age, the likelihood that she may even have children puts her career at risk.

To cut it short, maternity is the most limiting factor for the career of women. In Italy alone 54% of Italians believe that maternity and children are the main limitations for women to realise themselves professionally. In fact a recent study by the Chambers of 1,513 Italian companies showed that whereas 76% of managers said that women were marvellous and merited a place of responsibility; 77% nevertheless expressed that maternity in the workplace was a handicap.

As Simona Cuomo puts it, companies tend to complain about the problems faced when a woman leaves on maternity. The reality is that not many women in management have children. In Italy the birth rate is 1, 3 children per couple. So this cannot be a real issue. Maternity unfortunately is treated like a disease when in fact it is one of the most natural and humane facts of life. It is recognised that this is a cultural phenomenon which is strongly prevalent in Italy. Simona hopes that the results of the research will act as a catalyst to increase awareness and to start the wheels of change helping companies take the commitment to create the right environment and to integrate and embrace maternity.

The research aims to define the main perceptive for the cost of maternity, identify ways in which maternity is managed in companies and the problems faced during absence and finally to compare the macroeconomic data to the general perceptions within companies.

The research will analyse legislation covering maternity in Italy and overseas to determine what works and what doesn’t. It will also collect data regarding employment and maternity. In the north of Italy 91% on average of women between the age of 35 and 44 are employed. This decreases to 68, 2% once the woman marries and has children. The research will go into details with regards to direct and indirect costs of maternity to the company. This data will then be compared with the general perceptions within organisations.

The results are to be presented at a workshop on the 19the November 2008.

For more information on how to participate to the research, please contact Simona Cuomo at simona.cuomo@sdabocconi.it.

Simona Cuomo
simona.cuomo@sdabocconi.it