Hazel Hollingdale

Academic Year: 
2018-19
Direction: 
To Yale
Exchange Partners: 
University of British Columbia
Project Title: 
Are Women Better at Assessing Risk?: Testing the Lehman Sisters' Hypothesis

Hazel Hollingdale is a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of British Columbia. Using a mixed-methods approach, her doctoral research explores the ‘Lehman Sisters’ Hypothesis’, which asks whether the presence of women in finance can lead to more stable economic markets. Focussing on the organizational culture of male-dominated finance firms, she evaluates how the sex composition and gendered culture of these firms affect experiences of gender discrimination and evaluations of risk. By focussing on cultural-level interventions, she seeks to develop policy and strategies that better harness the innovation potential that enhanced diversity in organizations offers. Dedicated to the public dissemination of empirical insights, her work has been drawn on by government agencies and public companies to develop and optimize existing policy in other male-dominated sectors. Hazel has been invited to speak to academic and industry audiences alike, and she has been asked to provide media commentary on issues of gender inequality in the finance industry. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts Honors Degree in Sociology.

Policy Brief: “The Challenge of Effective Gender Equity Policy in Male-Dominated Industries”