Why don't more women major in information systems?

• Published in: Information technology & people (West Linn, Or.) Or.), 2011-01, Vol.24 (2), p.158-183
• Main Authors: Croasdell, David, McLeod, Alexander, Simkin, Mark G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Baby boomers; Business; Business schools; Career development; Careers; Computer science; Computer simulation; Employment; Equal opportunities; Families & family life; Females; Gender; Gender equity; Gender studies; Information and communication technologies; Information science; Information systems; Information technology; Mathematical models; Occupational choice; Secondary schools; Sex discrimination; STEM education; Students; Studies; Subject fields; Teachers; U.S.A; Universities; Women
• ISSN: 0959-3845; 1758-5813
• DOI: 10.1108/09593841111137340

Purpose - Increasing enrollments in colleges of business have not been matched by women majoring in the field of information systems (IS). This paper aims to explore reasons why women choose not to major in information technology disciplines and to suggest potential solutions.Design methodology approach - The authors used a behavioral model based on the theory of reasoned action and a survey of the students enrolled in six sections of a college-wide MIS course to help them answer the fundamental question "Why don't more women major in information systems?" They also used partial least squares analysis to estimate the parameters of the model and the results of several open-ended survey questions to validate their statistical findings, leading to a richer triangulation of study results.Findings - The study found that a "genuine interest in IS" and the "influence of family" most account for a woman's decision to major in information systems. Equally important are those items that did not appear to attract females, including such matters as "job-related factors" or the "influence of fellow students or friends". These findings have important recruitment and retention implications as well as suggesting some avenues for further study.Originality value - The analyses suggest that there is much faculty and business recruiters can do to encourage more females to major in IT-related disciplines. One is to encourage women to develop more interest in the field. Another is to create more study options for women with hard-science talents who want to pursue technologically-intensive careers. Finally, teachers, academic institutions, and employers might find it useful to address some of the misconceptions that women might have about IT-related jobs - for example, that IT jobs are only for males or computer geeks - and stress the many positive dimensions of IT career paths.