Barriers women face in information technology careers: Self‐efficacy, passion and gender biases

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if perceptions that women and men hold toward careers in information technology (IT) and toward women working in IT create potential barriers that may prevent women managers from pursuing careers in IT.

Design/methodology/approach

A field study was designed to test the hypotheses. The subjects were graduate students pursuing either an MBA or IT management degree.

Findings

The results revealed that males had greater self‐efficacy for IT occupations, greater passion for computing, and less positive attitudes toward capabilities of women in IT. Our prediction that career barriers would intensify for women who chose an IT management option was not supported. These findings suggest that traditional work role expectations concerning women's efficacy for careers in IT still persist.

Research limitations/implications

This research was limited by its focus on subjects in the early stages of a management career. To gain a better understanding of the barriers that women face in IT career fields, longitudinal studies are needed to track these barriers throughout the career development process.

Practical implications

If organisations want to attract, retain, and advance women managers in IT fields, they must proactively address gender role biases and create work environments that build self‐efficacy expectations for women, as well as for men.

Originality/value

Much of the research on career barriers women face in IT is based on qualitative studies and anecdotal evidence. This study provides empirical evidence that barriers still exist for women in IT despite the enhanced demand for IT professionals and managers over the past decade.

Citation

Michie, S. and Nelson, D.L. (2006), "Barriers women face in information technology careers: Self‐efficacy, passion and gender biases", Women in Management Review, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 10-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/09649420610643385