Essay - Women and the Information Technology Industry: Where is the Attraction?...

Women and the Information Technology Industry: Where is the Attraction?

Chapter One—Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Opportunities in technology companies are fuel*****g the economy, yet few women pursue them. A recent Pittsburgh Technology Council panel d*****cussion revealed that there are many reasons for women's lack of interest in IT, as were personal priorities (Czetli, 2003). "It might be an issue ***** self-selection -- women might not be risk takers," said Rob***** Steif, chief financial officer of Maya Design. "***** might also have something to do with the work/family issue, because entrepreneurs work way more than 40 hours per week."

Acknowledging that ***** seeking careers in technology industries faced barriers, there w***** no evidence that those roadblocks were any ***** significant than those encountered by minorities or even by men. "I think there is certainly a glass ceiling," said Joy Evans, a management consulting partner at Deloitte & Touche (*****, 2003). "But ***** tend to think of the business world as a pyramid which also limits everyone, including men, as you make your way to the top."

While one major issue was equality and judging people the same, ***** women on the panel said ***** were differences between the sexes when it comes to business thinking. However, *****y added ***** ***** differences should be seen as positives, enabling women to bring something new and different to the table. "There are differences, whether you want to believe it or not," Evans said (Czetli, *****). "Men and women have a different thought process, and that is ***** a disadvantage. At different levels ***** gives us something to offer ***** may not be there."

The majority of the *****'s speaker agreed that although women are increasingly *****ing ********** way throughout the technology and ***** world, it is still a "man's world," requiring either men or women ***** change to succeed.

Hypothesis

Ex*****ts are drawing the same conclusion they did years ago: Women still have to deal ***** a "good old boys" network keeping them from senior *****'s ranks (Weinstein, 2001). *****, despite the persistence of this problem, the fact is that the overall career outlook for ***** in IT has improved a great ***** the past few decades. Still, ***** the great increase in the number of high-level positions now open to women in IT, few women seek the jobs.

The paper examines the under representation of women in IT, why females constitute such a small percentage of employment in ***** **********. Computer literacy is ***** the problem. Young girls do demonstrate high levels ***** computer literacy but that is not translating in***** interest in IT as a c*****reer. The industry has attracted an image of being a stereotypically male and drab industry, which is an unexciting career path for young *****. It appears that teaching methods in IT are discouraging ***** from pursuing further study in the IT area and ***** is a l*****ck of information available to young students on what a ***** in ***** me*****ns. The paper hypo*****sizes that there is