This study concerns the distribution of women and men in an Italian research Centre active in areas of Information Technologies (IT), Microsystems, and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces.Its purpose is: first, to verify if the involvement of women and men is different in physics-oriented and computer science-oriented departments; second, to identify reasons of differences in the distribution of women and men in same area departments that could be brought back to human resources management practices.Design/methodology/approach In the first analysis, sex-disaggregated data from 1990 to 2004 are considered with respect to contract level and duration, departments and women’s educational qualifications.The second analysis adopts a qualitative approach based on interviews to heads of two departments and follows Acker’s gendering organizational theory.FindingsThis first analysis points out that data do not give support for a different areas dichotomy, but rather for differences on the number of women employed between same area departments.The second analysis points out that these differences are partly explained by the combination of bottom up processes in the recruitment and the presence/absence of a core group of women.Research limitations/implications A further analysis on researchers’ educational path is necessary to support a deeper explanation on women/men distribution and eventually to confirm its roots in a cultural bias on the choice of professional studies and carriers.What is original/value of paperIt synthesizes a quantitative and a qualitative approach. The presentation of sex-disaggregated data and of managerial practices of gendering contributes to literature about women’s participation in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET).
An Italian Study on Gender and Management in Science and IT
Mich, Ornella;Perini, Anna
2006-01-01
Abstract
This study concerns the distribution of women and men in an Italian research Centre active in areas of Information Technologies (IT), Microsystems, and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces.Its purpose is: first, to verify if the involvement of women and men is different in physics-oriented and computer science-oriented departments; second, to identify reasons of differences in the distribution of women and men in same area departments that could be brought back to human resources management practices.Design/methodology/approach In the first analysis, sex-disaggregated data from 1990 to 2004 are considered with respect to contract level and duration, departments and women’s educational qualifications.The second analysis adopts a qualitative approach based on interviews to heads of two departments and follows Acker’s gendering organizational theory.FindingsThis first analysis points out that data do not give support for a different areas dichotomy, but rather for differences on the number of women employed between same area departments.The second analysis points out that these differences are partly explained by the combination of bottom up processes in the recruitment and the presence/absence of a core group of women.Research limitations/implications A further analysis on researchers’ educational path is necessary to support a deeper explanation on women/men distribution and eventually to confirm its roots in a cultural bias on the choice of professional studies and carriers.What is original/value of paperIt synthesizes a quantitative and a qualitative approach. The presentation of sex-disaggregated data and of managerial practices of gendering contributes to literature about women’s participation in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
