Why are there so few women in information technology?: Assessing the role of personality in career choices

Despite increases in female labor force participation, women remain substantially under represented in most scientific and technical fields. The small number of women in engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science and other similar fields has variously been attributed to discrimination, differ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic psychology 2008-08, Vol.29 (4), p.543-554
Main Authors: Rosenbloom, Joshua L, Ash, Ronald A, Dupont, Brandon, Coder, LeAnne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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3120
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Arbeitsmarkt
Arbeitsmarktpolitik
Berufswahl
Biological and medical sciences
Career choice
Discrimination
Diskriminierung
Female employees
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gender differences
Gender differentiation
Information and communication technologies
Information technology
Informationstechnik
J24
Karriereplanung
Labor force
Miscellaneous
Occupational choice
Occupational personality
Occupational psychology
Personality
Persönlichkeitspsychologie
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Sociology of work
Studies
USA
Women
Women's role
Women's work
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Summary:Despite increases in female labor force participation, women remain substantially under represented in most scientific and technical fields. The small number of women in engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science and other similar fields has variously been attributed to discrimination, differences in ability or choice. This paper uses a unique data set containing information on vocational interests to examine the determinants of entry in to Information Technology occupations. We show that men and women differ systematically in their interests, and that these differences can account for an economically and statistically large fraction of the occupational gender gap.
ISSN:0167-4870
1872-7719
DOI:10.1016/j.joep.2007.09.005