Last month the VHMA Board held our annual strategic planning meeting which provides the Board Members with time to reflect and analyze what progress the association has made over the past year, where we are headed and new trends affecting the profession. As a part of our strategic planning process we look at association benchmark data that helps us evaluate where VHMA stands in comparison to other similar type associations. One area that intrigued me relates to the role that gender plays in membership and member priorities. Just like the veterinary procession, the association industry is monitoring how the changing demographics of male and female professionals are affecting the business of association management.
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) recently conducted research on this very topic. The research concluded that fundamentally men and women are very much alike when it comes to membership in professional associations. Similarly they are both interested in access to up-to-date information, professional development or educational programs, opportunities to network, access to career information and employment opportunities, access to products, services and suppliers, opportunities to gain leadership experience, a directory of members, and member discounts. However, the ASAE study did find some interesting differences between males and females when considering collective benefits to the field. Men rate gathering, analyzing and publishing data on trends in the field much higher than do women. Similarly conducting research on significant issues affecting the field was viewed more importantly by men than by women. At the same time, females were more interested in maintaining a code of ethics for practice than were men; women placed significantly more importance on influencing legislation and regulations that affect the field; and females placed a greater emphasis on promoting a greater appreciation of the role and value of the field among practitioners.
These researchers classify a profession as male- or female-dominant if more than 75% of the association's members are either men or women. Since approximately 82% of VHMA members are female, this would classify our association as female-dominant. Interestingly, the researchers found that male members of female-dominate organizations are more likely to value their association experience higher than their counterpart males in other male-dominated professional associations. Also interesting, females in female-dominant organizations don't tend to become as involved, but when they do, they receive more satisfaction from their involvement.
While it is beneficial and interesting to have research like this available for insight, the take-home point for our Board is to ensure that our member benefits remain focused on what our members, regardless of gender, truly want and need from their professional association, and to create a leadership culture that is welcoming to all. Understanding this makes me proud to be a member of a Board that has set such a high priority on listening to our members and being responsive to their feedback!
Jon Cunnington, MBA, CVPM
VHMA President