RM vs BE: Perceptions, Stereotypes and a Path Beyond the Divide
As a Retail Management (RM) student, have you ever asked yourself why you have far more limited opportunities to go on exchange than Business and Economics (BE) students? Why your program has been separated from the main building? As a BE student, have you ever wondered why there is such a strong sense of camaraderie among RM students? Why your program is nowhere near as practically-minded? Have you, as either student, ever even held a proper conversation with a peer from the other program?
As a Bachelor student at SSE, you most likely know of the two BSc programs. You have also likely formed an opinion regarding differences between the two, whether they appear subtle or obvious. You probably have limited knowledge about the other program, making your assumptions either painfully untrue or simply unfounded. As the programs are taught in different buildings and as the students are separated from day one, this is hardly surprising.
To mend and explore this divide between the separate but connected cohorts, we asked first-, second- and third-years from both programs about their thoughts on the school’s treatment of the BSc programs and whether they thought there were any significant differences in grades and future opportunities, among other things, between RM and BE students.
During the interviews, students highlighted how they are viewed differently at the school, depending on the program they are attending. One aspect that most interviewees spoke about was the perceived level of difficulty of the programs relative to each other. Both a third year BE student and a first year RM student thought people viewed the RM program as easier than the BE program. The third-year also thought RM students had lower grades than BE students. There are however differing opinions: a third year RM student thought this was not the case. She thought that there was no significant difference in the students’ performance and that the programs are equally demanding. By and large, however, it became apparent that RM is perceived to be less academically challenging. Regarding the students' treatment of each other, BE students tended to report not having noticed anything out of the ordinary. Some RM students have however experienced jokes directed towards them and their peers. One first-year felt that the jokes had an underlying punchline: his intelligence.
Though evidence above might suggest that students (particularly the BE kind) are to blame for the rift between the programs, that is not necessarily true. One can imagine that there would be fewer preconceptions between the two if they were more integrated through, for instance, common academic activities. Just the fact that the Retail program’s building is separated from the main building causes a difference in how one may view the other: as either “foreign” or “unbefitting” of the main building. That RM students have fewer opportunities to go on exchange compared to BE students, as well as the latter being given more freedom to choose electives, can even be seen as evidence of the school’s partial treatment.
One myth that seemingly rings true, however, is the difference in GPA. The school reported grade statistics for both programs, showing slightly higher grades for BE. In the grade statistics for the academic year 2019/20, the median GPA for RM students was 3.93 compared to BE students who had a median GPA of 4.04.,
Grades are of course not only correlated with intelligence, there is an abundance of other factors that may contribute to the slight difference in grades between the programs. Two BE students that were asked about this reported what they feel is a more “study-focused” and high performing environment within the BE program. The more intensive culture of studying can push the already highly-achieving Handels students further, as they compete with themselves and others. The interviewees also expressed their view on mental health struggles as a product of grade chasing. Stress, due to high expectations and performance within SSE, is known to cause mental health concerns. Furthermore, there is a view among some interviewed BE students that the “heavier workload and higher stress levels” affect them more negatively than RM students, though no statistical evidence exists to support this perspective.
When asking about differences in future opportunities, a third year BE student suggested that he and his peers had better opportunities. He thought this was because of his program’s broader education and bigger class, both of which contribute to a larger and more diverse network. He also thought RM students would earn a lower salary than himself and his classmates, as he thought BE students are more attractive for employers. In contrast, a first year RM student did not think the programs played an important role for future opportunities: “As for the future, I think that as long as you are an ambitious, competent person, it doesn’t really matter where you go, you can get pretty far.”
Gender equality and diversity are important factors when comparing the two programs, ones that the school reportedly cares about. In the period between 2017-21, the BE program had an average of 40% female student enrollment. The same measure for RM shows a drastically greater proportion: 64% of students enrolled within this 5-year period were women. How this skewed gender distribution contributes to the overall experience and satisfaction with the program, is not apparent from the interviews, however one would assume differences in student experiences.
Having high separation among students is not uncommon in academia — most universities offer a wide range of courses and programs, making them naturally less integrated. However, what sense does it make for a small and specialized business school, offering just two BSc programs, to have such a high degree of separation between them? Yes, there is nothing inherently wrong with separation and the two cohorts are on generally good terms: when asked, most of the interviewees declined experiencing any sort of conscious or unconscious discrimination. However, many expressed a wish for more understanding and intermixing between the programs. Several BE students reported having no clear idea what the RM program even was, something they thought should be addressed by the school. Furthermore, understanding what causes the gender and grade discrepancies between the BE and RM programs could be invaluable to addressing the issues experienced by students. Common classes and events, as well as a more intertwined policy regarding exchange and electives, could be the keys to a more cohesive student body. More generally, increasing camaraderie between students is likely to lead to more empathy and understanding, thus removing stereotypes against RM students. This, so that no student feels like the punchline to a joke.
References:
Edlund, Per-Olov. “Grade Statistics for the BSc in Business & Economics Program at the SSE.” SSE, January 29, 2021. https://www.hhs.se/contentassets/54e92954adc04901a2f39f3cf7dbe6b1/grade-statistics-for-the-bsc-in-business-and-economics-program-new-grades-200925.pdf.
Edlund, Per-Olov. “Grade Statistics for the BSC in Retail Management Program at the SSE.” SSE, January 29, 2021. https://www.hhs.se/contentassets/54e92954adc04901a2f39f3cf7dbe6b1/grade-statistics-for-the-bsc-in-retail-management-program-new-grades-210129.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3Y3nKFdNf4c0fByeLKjX2I0tBYl3KZFjazppeugNC9uSTTZ4zoTxTT1-s.
“Årsredovisning Och Verksamhetsberättelse.” SSE, 2021. https://www.hhs.se/contentassets/cceda259e4804f5fbdda194d8c430b5e/ar-2021_sv_final.pdf.