Author ORCID Identifier
Curtis C. Cain: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9582-1108
Carlos D. Buskey: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2694-6972
Angela L. Jones: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0895-1866
Karthik Balasubramanian: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0376-3703
Abstract
Black women remain severely underrepresented in Information Systems (IS) education, practice, and leadership, reflecting the cumulative effects of intersecting structural, cultural, and individual barriers across the educational and professional pipeline. Despite IS’s socio-technical orientation and its potential alignment with values of social impact and organizational problem solving, Black women continue to be marginalized within the field, with consequences for equity, innovation, and decision-making. This paper presents a focused conceptual analysis that synthesizes interdisciplinary literature on underrepresentation in computing and applies the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (IDTGIT) to the specific context of IS. Using an intersectional lens, we examine how environmental influences, individual identity factors, and individual influences interact to shape Black women’s pathways into, through, and beyond IS education and careers. Building on this analysis, we develop a theory-driven portfolio of IS-specific interventions spanning K–12 education, higher education, graduate pathways, and workplace advancement. These interventions address systemic access gaps, identity-based exclusion, and individual-level constraints, including skill development, confidence, and recognition. The paper contributes to IS scholarship by translating broader STEM findings into an IS-specific framework, operationalizing IDTGIT for intersectional analysis, and linking theory directly to actionable strategies. For IS educators, organizations, and policymakers, the proposed pathways offer coordinated, evidence-informed guidance for cultivating Black women’s participation and leadership in IS, strengthening the field’s socio-technical foundations and advancing inclusive innovation.
Recommended Citation
Cain, C. C., Buskey, C. D., Jones, A. L., & Balasubramanian, K. (In press). Pathways to Empowerment: Cultivating Black Women’s Leadership in Information Systems Through Education, Access, and Inclusive Policy. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 58, pp-pp. Retrieved from https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/38
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