Girls from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds: Factors Influencing their Interest in ICT Study and Career

The under-representation of women in information and communication technology (ICT) fields of study and occupations has attracted considerable attention of researchers in higher education. This paper discusses findings of a preliminary investigation aimed to investigate further study and career preferences of female students in one of Melbourne’s all-female secondary schools and determine factors that might influence their decisions. The investigation focused on female students from schools in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, home to families with low socio-economic status and students exposed to “educational disadvantage”

The Perceived Uniqueness of the IS Profession: The Role of Gender

This research investigated gender differences in the characteristics IS managers perceive to be unique to the IS profession. Aninterpretivist perspective, qualitative data collection (i.e., focus group interviews) and the revealed causal mapping dataanalysis method were used to evoke and represent mental models (i.e., cognitive structures) of men and women in the IS fieldregarding the unique characteristics of their profession. By comparing these mental models we uncovered different strategicviews of professional identity within our participants. A lack of consistency in how IS professional identity is conceptualizedcould lead to a fragmented sense of professional community and disengagement at the individual level

Women and ICT: exploring obstacles and enablers of a possible career

The ICT industry is a key contributor to the EU’s economy. Unfortunately, women’s presence is low overall and it decreases as they climb the corporate ladder. Underrepresentation of women in ICT is a research area that has received attention mostly in U.S.A., UK and some European countries. This phenomenon, termed “IT gender gap”, has not received much attention in Italy, yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study is doing an “initial” research and understanding the characteristics of the IT workplace culture in Italy. Based on the international research, a framework and a questionnaire have been developed. To test the questionnaire, a first research sample (without any statistical relevance compared to the Italian context) has been created and the potential respondents were contacted via email. Data analysis discusses the workplace environmental factors that hinder and support the career development of women in ICT in this country. Understanding the limitations of this research project has given rise to some open points that deserve being analysed and further explored

Attitudes of sixth form female students towards the IT field

It is well-known that girls are not interested in computer science, information systems (IS) and software engineering studies. While the underlying reasons for this phenomenon have been studied in the US, Canada and Australia, only a few studies have been carried out in Europe and none in Scandinavia. To fill this gap in the research, we have analyzed the qualitative responses of 64 female sixth-form students concerning their attitudes towards studying information technology (IT), including Computer Science, Information Systems and Software engineering disciplines, and their views on IT as a profession. The results suggest that the IT field is seen in quite a positive light by the girls. Although many of the respondents do not consider IT to be their profession, they nevertheless have positive attitudes towards the field. According to the respondents, the field is growing and developing; it is respected, and seen as the field of future. Girls who want to become IT professionals see that the profession entails good employment possibilities and benefits and is respected. Some girls have negative views towards the field. These views illustrate the underlying reasons that these girls do not want to study IT. These girls did not perceive the field to be human-related (the work is only computer-related, according to the respondents). The need for skills in mathematics and physics are also listed as key reasons that some girls do not want to become IT students The results of the study suggest that there is a need to clarify among sixth form students the fact that IT jobs can be divided into computer science, information systems and software engineering, all of which require different competences

Women Working in the IT Industry: Challenges for the New Millennium

Despite increased female participation in the workforce, including some non traditional areas such as law and medicine, female participation in the Information Technology (IT) industry is declining. A longitudinal study (WinIT) commenced in 1995 has explored Australian student’s and working women’s perceptions and experiences, and the factors which have influenced them to enter and persist in the IT field. This paper reviews recent research and describes the latest results from the authors' study of professional women in the Australian IT industry, focusing on the contradictions in the way that women represent their experiences. These contradictions indicate that polarised views of gender in the IT workforce are being undermined, but also that IT personnel have difficulty reconciling their personal and work lives and coping with the rapid rate of change in the industry. The implications for human resources management in the volatile IT industry as well as some possible solutions to the problem are also discussed

Aussie women game developers

Women are underrepresented in the digital games industry all over the world. In Australia, womens level of contribution to game development is much lower than the USA, Canada, and UK. Reviewing literature from the areas of computer science, information technology, and digital games, this study focuses on the impact of social, structural and cultural aspects, and how these factors might influence women choosing a career in the Australian digital games industry. Using a mixed-method, Grounded Theory approach, a large-scale census of Australian digital game studios was conducted, and followed up by semi-structured interviews of a small group of women game developers. Findings reveal that the number of women game developers in Australia has recently increased, and although work culture stereotypes and poor workplace conditions persist overseas, Australian women are not experiencing these issues. However, getting interested in digital game development is still a major obstacle in convincing young women to enroll in game development degrees at university. Once enrolled though, attrition is a problem that has been attributed to teaching styles, lack of confidence and how male peers treat female students in their first year. Those women, who eventually graduate and pursue a career in digital games, more often share the influence of strong parents, male siblings, and enjoyed playing games from a young age

Early Determinants of Women in the IT Workforce: A Model of Girls’ Career Choices

Purpose – To develop a testable model for girls’ career choices in technology fields based on past research and hypotheses about the future of the information technology (IT) workforce. Design/Methodology/Approach – Review and assimilation of literature from education, psychology, sociology, computer science, IT, and business in a model that identifies factors that can potentially influence a girl’s choice towards or against IT careers. The factors are categorized into social factors (family, peers, and media), structural factors (computer use, teacher/counselor influence, same sex versus coeducational schools), and individual differences. The impact of culture on these various factors is also explored. Findings – The model indicates that parents, particularly fathers, are the key influencers of girls’ choice of IT careers. Teachers and counselors provide little or no career direction. Hypotheses propose that early access to computers may reduce intimidation with technology and that same-sex education may serve to reduce career bias against IT. Research Limitations/Implications – While the model is multidisciplinary, much of research from which it draws is five to eight years old. Patterns of career choices, availability of technology, increased independence of women and girls, offshore/nearshore outsourcings of IT jobs are just some of the factors that may be insufficiently addressed in this study. Practical Implications – A “Recommendations” section provides some practical steps to increase the involvement of girls in IT-related careers and activities at an early age. The article identifies cultural research as a limitation and ways to address this. Originality/value – The paper is an assimilation of literature from diverse fields and provides a testable model for research on gender and IT

Discretionary power of project managers in knowledge intensive firms and gender issues

The scarcity of women among the highly qualified professionals in business-to-business information and communication technologies (ICT), either in Europe andor in North America, has been noted as recently as the late 1990’s (Panteli, Stack, Atkinson, & Ramsay, 1999). The organization and management of work in such organizations firms is typically project-based. This has many consequences, including: long working hours with fierce resistance to shorter hoursany reduction, unpaid overtime, high management expectations of employee flexibility to meet unanticipated client demands, and the need for employees to negotiate flexible work arrangements on a case-by-cases basis with a project manager who often has much discretion on whether to accommodate such requests. We found that women are particularly disadvantaged in such a system, which could partly explain their under-representation in such jobs

Where Are All the Women?: Exploring the Research on the Under-Representation of Women in Computer Science

Women’s participation in computer science is important for many reasons, including playing a significant role in a country’s economic development. A skilled workforce is needed to remain competitive in the globalized world, especially in the area of computer science. This research aims to explore the recent research literature around the factors that contribute to women’s low participation in computer science. Key to this exploration is helping to answer the question: Why does the proportion of women in Western countries’ computing fields remain low, despite years of research and programs with the intention of increasing women’s participation in computing? In order to address this question, and employing a feminist theoretical lens, I conducted a comprehensive literature review. To some degree, I also analyzed my own autobiographical experiences in the field of computer science to better understand how gender relations shape that world. The current study concludes that the main factors that shape women’s low participation in computer science are gender stereotypes, a misunderstanding of science computer curriculum, “know-it-alls” learning environment, unfair work environment, and pay gap. All of these factors will be discussed using three explanatory lenses: psychological explanations, social factors and structural factors. In the end, I conclude with suggestions for how to increase the number of women within this field

Gestion par projets et risques pour la santé psychologique au travail dans la nouvelle économie

Y a-t-il des problèmes de santé mentale propres au travail dans la nouvelle économie ? Quoiqu’on puisse constater que le modèle de demande psychologique - autonomie décisionnelle de Karasek et Theorell- trouve aussi son application dans les milieux de travail qui empruntent cette forme, on observe, en fait, des formes particulières de ces facteurs dans la forme d’organisation du travail propre à la gestion par projets. Assimilables à « l’hypersollicitation par le client » comme il a été repéré par Christophe Dejours, ces formes ont été observées lors d’une enquête menée récemment sur la conciliation entre la vie privée et la vie professionnelle dans sept organisations montréalaises. La recherche qualitative a recueilli en tout le discours de 88 répondants distribués également selon le sexe et exerçant des fonctions liées au génie informatique. Ces observations permettent d’envisager une nuance au modèle théorique de la santé mentale ci-haut mentionné, visant à tenir compte des effets délétères d’une très grande latitude décisionnelle assortie de très grandes responsabilités chez des travailleurs hautement qualifiés.Are there distinct mental health problems among workers in the new economy? Although we may observe that the psychological demand - decision latitude model of Karakek and Theorell is appropriate and also finds its application in this type of workplace, we also notice some particular forms that these factors take in the management-by-project work organization model. Akin to the so-called "client’s hyper-demanding activity" as identified by Christophe Dejours, these forms were observed during a recent field study about balancing work and family in seven Montreal organizations. The qualitative study collected data from 88 individual interviews of information technology engineers, evenly distributed by gender. These observations allow a nuance of the above-mentioned theoretical mental health model to be considered, to take into account the deleterious effects of a very broad decision latitude combined with huge responsibilities among highly qualified workers.Existen problemas de salud mental relacionados específicamente con el trabajo en la nueva economía ? A pesar que constatamos que el modelo de exigencia psicológica – autonomía en la decisión de Karasek y Theorell se aplica en los medios laborales que adquieren esa forma, observamos, en realidad, formas particulares que toman éstos factores en las formas de organización del trabajo características de la gestión de proyectos. Pudiendo asimilarlos a la « hipersolicitación por parte del cliente » identificada por Christophe Dejours, estas formas fueron observadas durante una investigación llevada a cabo recientemente acerca de la conciliación entre la vida privada y la vida profesional en siete organizaciones de Montreal. La investigación cualitativa ha recabado en total el relato de 88 personas distribuídas igualmente en ambos sexos y que ejercen funciones relacionadas con la ingeniería informática. Estas observaciones permiten considerar un matiz en el modelo teórico de la salud mental mencionado más arriba, y tener en cuenta los efectos nocivos de una gran latitud decisional acompañada de grandes responsabilidades en trabajadores altamente calificados