October 26, 2006

by Larry Becker

Prudence LaBeach Pollard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of management at La Sierra University’s School of Business, was one of 46 leading educators and political leaders from the United States who received special invitations to participate in the Oxford Round Table in March 2006. Pollard was a featured presenter in the five-day conference on “Women’s Rights” held at Harris Manchester College in Oxford, England.

Pollard’s presentation focused on her research project titled “A Critical Analysis of Gender-Based Workplace Challenges Facing Women: Gender and Compensation.” Her study focused on an analysis of compensation data supplied by the American Dietetic Association, a female dominated healthcare organization. In theory, a woman-dominated industry such as dietetics should have less gender discrimination and more pay equity when compared to male dominated industries.

Yet in analyzing responses of more than 13,000 Registered Dietitians, Pollard found that male dieticians earn an average of $10,000 more per year than women, and that men earn more than women regardless of the area of specialization within the field. Further analyses by Pollard and her team found that total cash compensation for full-time Registered Dietitians shows a 10% wage gap of approximately $5,000.

“We know that a glass ceiling exists for women in management,” Pollard says, “and it is being studied and remedied from a variety of perspectives. But Registered Dietitians are faced with a compensation ‘blue line.’

“Grassroots and governmental agencies both need to continue monitoring the glass ceiling and wage gap, both to spur action to remove it and to acknowledge those organizations that are unbiased and who embrace the abilities of both men and women,” Pollard continues. “Accountability to advance a diverse workforce needs to be developed, and minorities and women need to be prepared for high visibility, hi-impact senior positions through formal mentoring programs. Work/life and family-friendly policies also need to be initiated.”

Founded in 1989, the Oxford Round Table promotes human advancement and understanding through the improvement of education. To this end, the Oxford Round Table provides a forum for the study and consideration of current issues facing state and national systems of education.

The Oxford Round Table is a unique forum, not a conference in the conventional sense, but rather an opportunity for select leaders in the public and private sectors and scholars to discuss government policy over a five-day period in a collegial, "think-tank" atmosphere in the ancient city of Oxford. The Round Table does not set a specific agenda, but rather allows the discussions of participants to develop and flow in response to issues and concerns presented at each meeting. While avoiding topical prescription, the Round Table does seek to stimulate discussion and elicit meaningful dialogue by suggesting certain themes for discussion.

The results of certain of the deliberations have been published and distributed to individuals, governments and academic institutions around the world. Previous Oxford Round Tables have produced several books. Round Table publications traditionally convey varied approaches for improving government policy at institutional and governmental levels.