Female Retention in Post-Secondary IT Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 3176-3182
Author(s):  
J. L. Quesenberry
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
It Education ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
Gender And It

The historical gender stratification in technical disciplines has been an area of study for many years and researchers have concluded that women are alarmingly under-enrolled in post-secondary information technology (IT) education (e.g., Camp, 1997; Teague, 2002; von Hellens, Nielsen, Greenhill, & Pringle, 1997). One challenge facing the IT gender gap discourse is the application of theories that focus on a variety of levels of analysis (Korpela, Mursu, & Soriyan, 2001; Walsham, 2000). Recently, the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT has been proposed by Trauth (Trauth, 2002; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006; Trauth & Quesenberry, 2006, 2005; Trauth, Quesenberry, & Morgan, 2004) to explain the underrepresentation of women in the IT workforce at both the societal and individual levels of analysis. To date, the majority of the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT research has focused on improving our understanding of the underrepresentation of women in the IT workforce.1 Hence, in an attempt to build on the theoretical foundation, this article reports on a literature survey of the influences on American women’s retention in post-secondary IT education.

Female Retention in Post-Secondary IT Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 317-322
Author(s):  
Jeria L. Quesenberry
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
It Education ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Secondary Information ◽  
Gender And It

The historical gender stratification in technical disciplines has been an area of study for many years and researchers have concluded that women are alarmingly under-enrolled in post-secondary information technology (IT) education (e.g., Camp, 1997; Teague, 2002; von Hellens, Nielsen, Greenhill, & Pringle, 1997). One challenge facing the IT gender gap discourse is the application of theories that focus on a variety of levels of analysis (Korpela, Mursu, & Soriyan, 2001; Walsham, 2000). Recently, the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT has been proposed by Trauth (Trauth, 2002; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006; Trauth & Quesenberry, 2006, 2005; Trauth, Quesenberry, & Morgan, 2004) to explain the underrepresentation of women in the IT workforce at both the societal and individual levels of analysis. To date, the majority of the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT research has focused on improving our understanding of the underrepresentation of women in the IT workforce.1 Hence, in an attempt to build on the theoretical foundation, this article reports on a literature survey of the influences on American women’s retention in post-secondary IT education.

Gender and the Information Technology Workforce

2011 ◽  
pp. 18-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen A. Trauth ◽  
Jeria L. Quesenberry
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Construction ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Social Construction Theory ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Gender And It

Despite increases of women in the labor force, females are largely under-represented in the American IT workforce. Among the challenges that managers face in addressing the under representation of women in the IT workforce is the identification of an appropriate theory as a basis for understanding data about gender and IT in order to reverse the gender imbalance. Hence, the purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate the managerial implications of theory choice when addressing the under representation of women in the IT workforce. We provide an overview of the three main theoretical perspectives, the essentialist theory, the social construction theory, and the individual differences theory of gender and IT, which are used to understand and investigate the IT gender gap. We then make the argument that the essentialist and social construction theories do not provide the analytical robustness required to pay attention to more nuanced managerial recommendations. Finally, we demonstrate how the individual differences theory of gender and IT can significantly contribute to the reconfiguration of analytical knowledge of the IT gender gap and spur innovative management policies.

The Influences and Responses of Women in IT Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 3293-3298
Author(s):  
K. J. Maser
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
American University ◽  
Women In It ◽  
The Social ◽  
It Department ◽  
It Education ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Female Responses ◽  
Gender And It

This article highlights findings from an empirical study that explores the nature of female underrepresentation in information technology. Specifically, this research focuses on (a) identifying key sociocultural factors that can facilitate the pursuit of IT at the undergraduate level, and (b) testing Trauth’s (2002) Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT through a comparison of female responses to the social construction of IT. To answer the author’s research questions, interviews were conducted with 10 female seniors in an IT department at an American university in the mid-Atlantic region (MAU).1 Although experiences with social factors vary, comparing the stories of women who have successfully navigated their way into and through an IT undergraduate degree program reveals common influences and motivations. In addition, though some common factors may facilitate female entry into the field, the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT explains that women will react differently to the social constructions of gender and IT. By gaining a better understanding of the gender imbalance, applying appropriate theories to explain the problem, and uncovering the challenges that women of our society face in their entry to the field of IT, collegiate programs can more effectively implement strategies that will improve the recruitment and retention of female students.

The Influences and Responses of Women in IT Education

2011 ◽  
pp. 808-812
Author(s):  
Kathryn J. Maser
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
American University ◽  
Women In It ◽  
The Social ◽  
It Department ◽  
It Education ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Female Responses ◽  
Gender And It

This article highlights findings from an empirical study that explores the nature of female underrepresentation in information technology. Specifically, this research focuses on (a) identifying key sociocultural factors that can facilitate the pursuit of IT at the undergraduate level, and (b) testing Trauth’s (2002) Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT through a comparison of female responses to the social construction of IT. To answer the author’s research questions, interviews were conducted with 10 female seniors in an IT department at an American university in the mid-Atlantic region (MAU).1 Although experiences with social factors vary, comparing the stories of women who have successfully navigated their way into and through an IT undergraduate degree program reveals common influences and motivations. In addition, though some common factors may facilitate female entry into the field, the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT explains that women will react differently to the social constructions of gender and IT. By gaining a better understanding of the gender imbalance, applying appropriate theories to explain the problem, and uncovering the challenges that women of our society face in their entry to the field of IT, collegiate programs can more effectively implement strategies that will improve the recruitment and retention of female students.

Understanding the "Mommy Tracks"

2011 ◽  
pp. 164-181
Author(s):  
Jeria L. Quesenberry ◽  
Eileen M. Trauth ◽  
Allison J. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Career Decisions ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Gender And It

Despite the recent growth in the number of women in the American labor force, women are still underrepresented in the IT workforce. Key among the factors that account for this under-representation is balancing work-family issues. This article presents a framework for analyzing work-family balance from a field study of women employed in the American IT workforce. The findings are examined through the lens of the individual differences theory of gender and IT to show the range of ways in which work-family considerations influence women’s IT career decisions. The framework is used to support the theoretical argument that women exhibit a range of decisions regarding career and parenthood: the non-parent, the working parent, the back-on-track parent, and the off-the-track parent. These findings illustrate an identifiable theme that crosses geographical regions and timeframes; societal messages are complex and difficult to digest and are processed in different ways by different women, yet they contribute to the decisions women make about their professional and personal lives.

Understanding the Mommy Tracks in the IT Workforce

2011 ◽  
pp. 1178-1183
Author(s):  
Jeria L. Quesenberry ◽  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Family Issues ◽  
Work Family Balance ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Female Responses ◽  
Gender And It

Despite the recent growth in the number of women in the American labor force, women are under represented in the IT workforce. Key among the factors that account for this under representation is balancing work-family issues. Some researchers have speculated that IT work is not an ideal fit for working mothers because of long work hours, increased conflicts with family responsibilities, and the difficulty of returning after maternity leave to an industry with ever evolving technologies (Kuosa, 2000; Webster, 1996). This article reports on an empirical study that explored the influence of work-family balance on American women’s participation in the IT workforce by using the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (Trauth, 2002; Trauth, Quesenberry, & Morgan, 2004; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006). In doing so, we summarize a work-family balance study presented in greater detail in Quesenberry, Morgan, and Trauth (2004) and Quesenberry, Trauth, and Morgan (2006) that articulates the ways in which individual and environmental factors influence female responses to issues of work-family balance.

Environmental Context and Women in the IT Workforce

2011 ◽  
pp. 276-281
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth ◽  
Jeria L. Quesenberry ◽  
Benjamin Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Context ◽  
Contractual Arrangements ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Time Work ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Information Work ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Gender And It ◽  
Part Time Work

The rise of the network society involves a transformation of employment, in which power relations shift with the flow of capital, leading to downsizing, subcontracting and networking of labor. These processes facilitate flexibility and individualization of contractual arrangements in information work. As a whole, there is an increase in self-employment, temporary work, and part-time work, particularly for women (Castells, 1996). This transformation of employment brings heightened consideration about the characteristics of the labor force. Thus, one need is to examine environmental context and the possible connections between economic and cultural factors of a region and the experience of women in the IT workforce. This article summarizes an empirical study presented in greater detail in Trauth, Quesenberry, and Yeo (2005) that explored the influence of environmental context on women in the IT workforce by using the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (Trauth, 2002; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006; Trauth, Quesenberry, & Morgan, 2004).

Gender, Race, Social Class, and Information Technology

2011 ◽  
pp. 705-710
Author(s):  
Myungsook Klassen ◽  
Russell Stockard Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The U.S

The issue of the underrepresentation of women in the information technology (IT) workforce has been the subject of a number of studies, and the gender gap was an issue when the digital divide dominated discourse about women’s and minority groups’ use of the Internet. However, a broader view is needed. That perspective would include the relation of women and IT in the communities in which they live as well as the larger society. The information society that has emerged includes the United States (U.S.) and the globalized economy of which it is an integral part. Women and minorities, such as African Americans and Latinos, are underrepresented in computer science (CS) and other IT positions in the U.S. In addition, while they are no longer numerically underrepresented in access to computers and the Internet, as of 2000 (Gorski, 2001), they continue to enjoy fewer benefits available through the medium than white boys and men. The following article explores the diversity within women from the perspectives of race, ethnicity and social class in North America, mainly the U.S. The technology gender and racial gap persists in education and in the IT workforce. A broader and deeper look at women’s positions in relation to the increasingly techno-centric society reveals that women may have reached equality in access, but not in academic study and job opportunities.

The Cross-Cultural Dimension of Gender and Information Technology

2009 ◽  
pp. 1753-1760
Author(s):  
Haiyan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Design Collaboration ◽  
Technology Industry ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women ◽  
Gender And It

The underrepresentation of women in the information technology (IT) sector has been widely studied in the contexts of western countries such as North American and Western European countries. These studies indicate that the underrepresentation of women in the IT sector is unveiled in multiple perspectives, including IT access, the development, adoption and use of IT, IT education, and the IT workforce in general and within the IT workforce structure itself (e.g., different levels of IT positions) (Cooper & Weaver, 2003; Gürer & Camp, 2002; Hartzel, 2003; Klein, Jiang & Tesch, 2002; Margolis & Fisher, 2002; Rommes, 2002; Trauth, 2002; von Hellens, Neilsen, & Beekhuyzen, 2001; Webster, 1996). Why is it important to study issues related to gender and information technology? First, it is argued that the information technology sector should value and leverage all kinds of diversity (including gender diversity as one dimension) to enhance productivity, to facilitate IT innovation, and to develop IT for a wide variety of people (Avgerou, 2002; Roberts, 2003; Trauth, Huang, Morgan, Quesenberry, & Yeo, 2006). Second, it is also argued that women’s underrepresentation in and exclusion from information technology can be attributed to power and socio-cultural reproduction of inequality through technology development and use, and the historically socialconstruction of technology fields as “masculine” domains, which result in a gendered digital divide (Cockburn, 1985; Kvasny & Trauth, 2002; Kvasny & Truex, 2001; Wajcman, 1991, 2004; Woodfield, 2000). Ignorance or failure to address issues related to gender and IT will further marginalize women’s participation in future economic and social development, and will endanger social equality and social welfare in general (Kvasny & Trauth, 2002). A significant trend of the contemporary information technology industry is towards globalization, which is manifested through a variety of established practices such as IT offshore outsourcing, global software development, and innovation through global R&D (research & design) collaboration (Sahay, Nicholson, & Krishna, 2003; Walsham, 2000, 2001, 2002). Such a globalization trend of the IT industry and market has put forward new challenges to gender and IT research, to incorporate the cross-cultural dimension. Similar to the rationale for studying gender and IT in developed countries (leveraging diversity and improving social inclusion), Hafkin and Taggart (2001) argued that it is imperative to examine the cultural factors while studying gender and IT in developing countries

Factors Influencing Career Choice for Women in the Global Information Technology Workforce

2010 ◽  
pp. 23-48
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth ◽  
Jeria L. Quesenberry ◽  
Haiyan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Career Choices ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
It Workforce ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender And It

The increased cultural diversity emanating from the globalization of the IT sector presents challenges for gender research in the IT field. In an effort to address these challenges, this chapter presents an analysis of cultural factors influencing the career choices of women in the IT workforce. A review of the literature on cultural factors suggests the need for both greater analysis of cultural influences on women in the IT workforce and more nuanced theorizing about gender and IT. Hence, the authors employ the individual differences theory of gender and IT as a theoretical lens for examining, in greater detail, the variation in ways that perceptions of women’s roles are embedded in a culture. The chapter then documents the influence of these perceptions on female IT career choices. Finally, the authors show how socio-cultural factors moderate these influences. The data employed in this chapter draws from a qualitative data set of interviews with 200 women from four separate studies of women in the IT workforces in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. The themes that emerged from this analysis speak to the influence of cultural attitudes about maternity, childcare, parental care and working outside the home on a woman’s choice of an IT career. The authors also saw evidence that other socio-cultural factors add further variation to gendered cultural influences: gendered career norms, social class, economic opportunity, and gender stereotypes about aptitude. These results lend empirical support to the emergent individual differences theory of gender and IT that theorizes within-gender variation with respect to issues related to gender and IT. They also point to areas where educational and workplace interventions can be enacted to address the under representation of women in the IT field.

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