The Online Coffee Klatch: What are Tech Women Talking About?

Deborah Armstrong, Florida State University
Ibtissam Zaza, FSU

Description

Though the topic has been a focus of study for years, researchers are still grappling with the antecedents of turnover for women in technology-related professions. One potential antecedent of turnover that has yet to receive much attention in the information systems (IS) literature is gender discrimination. As a first step, the goal of this study is to understand what is on the minds of tech women regarding gender discrimination, and the potential link between perceived gender discrimination and turnover intention. To address this goal, emails posted over two years to a forum for women involved in computing were analyzed using Semantria for Excel. This analysis allowed us to study large quantities of unstructured data culled from the women’s email communications. Based on the preliminary analysis, it appears that the perception that women are unwelcome in the technology-related professions persists. The next steps and potential implications are provided.

 
Aug 11th, 12:00 AM

The Online Coffee Klatch: What are Tech Women Talking About?

Though the topic has been a focus of study for years, researchers are still grappling with the antecedents of turnover for women in technology-related professions. One potential antecedent of turnover that has yet to receive much attention in the information systems (IS) literature is gender discrimination. As a first step, the goal of this study is to understand what is on the minds of tech women regarding gender discrimination, and the potential link between perceived gender discrimination and turnover intention. To address this goal, emails posted over two years to a forum for women involved in computing were analyzed using Semantria for Excel. This analysis allowed us to study large quantities of unstructured data culled from the women’s email communications. Based on the preliminary analysis, it appears that the perception that women are unwelcome in the technology-related professions persists. The next steps and potential implications are provided.