Know The Industry :: Women in IT
What's The Big Deal?
Interview with Heather Foust-Cummings, PhD. and Director of Research at the NY-based non-profit organization.
Catalyst works with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business - www.catalyst.org
Q: Your research work at Catalyst focuses on understanding issues related to the retention and advancement of women in high-technology companies. What are the main roadblocks for women in going into these careers?
A: Our most recent research looked at barriers to career advancement for women in technology. In a recent online survey we conducted of 471 women worldwide in technical fields or companies, we found that nearly 40% of the women said they lacked role models similar to them. Another 34% said they had no mentor or champion who made their accomplishments known, and 32% said they felt they were excluded from important networks that would advance their careers.
In another more comprehensive survey of 60,000 employees (both men and women at global high-tech companies), we also found that women in technical roles were less satisfied with supervisory relationships than either men in technical roles, or women or men in non-technical roles.
Women in technical roles didn't feel as often that management decisions were fair and that job performance was evaluated fairly, or that management was receptive to feedback and suggestions. In all other areas studied, however, technical women felt the same as the other women, which indicates that progress has been made for women at these companies.
We have seen companies making progress in incorporating women into their corporate cultures. But clearly there is still a need for improvement in the area of supervisory training.
Q: Why should people care whether there are women in IT or not? Is there some benefit to that?
A: Diversity of thought is critical to the development of innovative solutions. Groups that are diverse are stuck less often when confronted with challenges, can produce and test the feasibility of more ideas, and are more productive.
Catalyst's research also found a strong correlation between corporate financial performance and gender diversity. We have found that companies with higher representation of women on the board of directors, for example, have a significantly better financial performance than those without women. On average, companies with the highest percentages of women board directors outperformed those with fewer women.
Q: Will companies be able to pay attention to this issue amid the economic crisis? Won't they have other concerns?
A: In particular during these difficult times, when new challenges are faced and creative solutions are sought, it is more important than ever for IT companies to recruit and retain women.
Q:How can NetAcad instructors help motivate the girls and women in their classes to keep on with their IT careers?
A: Catalyst research on women in technology has found that women who work with other women are more satisfied with their career advancement opportunities. Likewise, experts on girls in IT emphasize that girls enjoy technology more when they work collaboratively. Thus, the more Cisco Network Academy encourage collaborative work and projects into their courses, girls are more likely to be engaged in the work and connected to the field.
Resources:
Statistics on Women in Technology - http://www.catalyst.org/publication/205/women-in-high-tech
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