Work-life balance is no longer only a woman’s issue. Nearly equal numbers of women and men on the MBA track now plan to prioritize non-work commitments over career progression. And both women and men view the trade-off between their career progression and other life priorities as the biggest obstacle to reaching their career goals.

The new study also confirms other similarities between the genders. Men and women sign up for business school for better career options. Both genders aspire to similar jobs after graduation. Nearly equal numbers of women and men want to reach top management (69 per cent of women and 68 per cent of men). However,  today both men and women also want more space in their professional lives for family and non-work commitments. Overall, MBA students – men and women - are thinking more holistically about what they want to accomplish both personally and professionally. They are no longer focused only on career trajectory. They want multidimensional lives.

Still, some important differences remain. When asked about their most important metrics for success, both men and women mention impact as their main metric, though women mention impact more frequently than men (62 per cent vs. 50 per cent). Men are more likely to cite family as a metric for success, perhaps underscoring that they are now more conscious about balancing work and life than they have been in the past. The emphasis on family has not, however, changed male perspectives on financial success. In terms of metrics for success, wealth is a strong second for men, and they mention it more frequently—37 per cent of men vs. 23 per cent of women.

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Integrating Work and Life