Gender differences in IS career choice: examine the role of attitudes and social norms in selecting IS profession

ABSTRACT

The proposed research will systematically assess the causes of gender-related differences in attraction to information systems (IS) as a career. We propose a Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)—based model of intention to pursue an IS career which incorporates work value congruence, attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy. Undergraduate students in an introductory IS course, which for many will be their first introduction to the field, will be surveyed to test this model and also the extent to which their perceptions change with exposure to IS through the course.

REFERENCES

• 1: Ajzen, I., and Fishbein, M. Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior, Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1980.
• 2: Bailyn, L. (1987). Experiencing technical work: A comparison of male and female engineers. Human Relations, 40, 299-312.
• 3: Becker, A. (1986). Influence again: An examination of reviews and studies of gender differences in social influences. In Hyde, J. S. and Linn, M. C. (eds.) Psychology of Gender: Advances Through Meta-Analysis, 178-209, Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press.
• 4: Betz, N. E. & O'Connell, L. (1989). Work orientations of males and females: Exploring the gender socialization approach. Sociological Inquiry, 59, 318-330.
• 5: Betz, N. E., & Hackett, G. (1983). The relationship of mathematics self-efficacy expectations to the selection of science-based college majors. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 23, 329-345.
• 6: Betz, N. E., & Hackett, G. T. (1981). The relationship of career-related self-efficacy expectations to perceived career options in college women and men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28, 399-410.
• 7: Beutel, A. M., & Marini, M. M. (1995). Gender and values. American Sociological Review, 60, 436- 455.
• 8: Brief, A. P., Rose, G. I,., & Aldag, R. J. (1977). Sex differences in preferences for job attributes revisited. Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 645-646.
• 9: Brooks, L., & Betz, N. E. (1990). Utility of expectancy theory in predicting occupational choices in college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 37, 57-64.
• 10: Cable, D. M. & Judge, T. A. (1994). Pay preference and job search decisions: A person-organization fit perspective. Personnel Psychology, 47, 317-340.
• 11: Council of Economic Advisers (2000). Opportunities and gender pay equity in new economy occupations, www.whitehouse.gov/Wll/EOt/CFA/html/l'ay_Equitv.pd{i
• 12: Crawford, M. and Chaffin, R. & Fitton, L. (1995). Cognition in social context. Special Issue, Psychological and Psychobiological Perspectives on Sex Differences in Cognition: Theory and Research, Learning and Individual Differences, 7(4), 341-362.
• 13: Eagly, A. H. & Carli, L. L. (1981). Sex of researchers and sex-type communication as determinants of sex differences in influenceability: A meta-analysis of social influence studies. Psychological Bulletin, 90, 1-20.
• 14: Eccles, J. S. (1987). Gender roles and women's achievementrelated decisions. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 11,135- 171.
• 15: Felter, M. (1985). Sex differences on the California Statewide Assessment of Computer Literacy. Sex Roles, 13, 181- 192.
• 16: Fishbein, M., and Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theo and Research, Addi'son-Wesley, Reading, MA.
• 17: Freehill, L. M. (1997). Education and occupational sex segregation: The decision to major in engineering. The Sociological Quarterly, 38, 225-249.
• 18: Freeman, P. & Aspray, W. (1999) The supply of information technology workers in the United States. Computing Research Association http.'//wu'w.cra.ol,,,/re/orts/wit.'/it worker...shormge book.pd/"
• 19: Gianakos, I., & Subich, L. M. (1998). Student Sex and Sex Role in Relation to College Major Choice. Career Development Quarterly, 36, 259-268.
• 20: Hackett, G. & Betz, N. E. (1981). A self-efficacy approach to the career development of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 18, 326-399.
• 21: Hunt, N. P. & Bohlin, R, M. (1993). Teacher Education and Students' Attitudes Toward Using Computers. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 25, 487-497.
• 22: Igbaria, M. & Baroudi, J., (1993). A short-form measure of career orientations: a psychometric evaluation. Journal of Management Information Systems, 10(2), Fall, 131- 154.
• 23: Igbaria, M. & Chakrabarti, A. (1990). Computer anxiety and attitudes toward microcomputer use. Behavioral and Information Technology, 9(3), 229-241.
• 24: Igbaria, M., Parasuraman, S., & Greenhaus, J. H. (1997). Status report on women and men in the IT workplace. Information Systems Management, 14, 44-53.
• 25: Magid Igbaria , Jeffrey H. Greenhaus , Saroj Parasuraman, Career orientations of MIS employees: an empirical analysis, MIS Quarterly, v.15 n.2, p.151-169, June 1991 [doi>10.2307/249376]
• 26: Information Technology Association of America (1TAA) (1998). From Myth to Reality: Changing the Image of Information Technology Task Force Report, http://www, ilaa. or/work(orce/studies/image, hint
• 27: Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) (2000a). Executive Summary -Bridging the Gap: Information Technology Skills for a New Millennium. http://www, itaa. ore/workforce/studies/hwOOexecsunmt, htm
• 28: Information Technology Association of America (ITAA). Building the 21 st Century Information Technology Work Force: Underrepresented Groups in the Information Technology Workforce, Task Force Reports, ht/p://www.itao.or/work{orce/stttdies/recruit.htm (June 15, 2000b).
• 29: Elena Karahanna , Detmar W. Straub , Norman L. Chervany, Information technology adoption across time: a cross-sectional comparison of pre-adoption and post-adoption beliefs, MIS Quarterly, v.23 n.2, p.183-213, June 1999 [doi>10.2307/249751]
• 30: Lightbody, P., Siann, G., Tait, L., & Walsh, D. (1997). A fulfilling career- Factors which influence women's choice of profession. Educational Studies, 23, 25-37.
• 31: Karen D. Loch , Sue Conger, Evaluating ethical decision making and computer use, Communications of the ACM, v.39 n.7, p.74-83, July 1996 [doi>10.1145/233977.233999]
• 32: Margolis, J., Fisher, A., & Miller, F. (2000). Computing for a purpose: Gender and attachment to computer science. Work in progress, Izttp://www.cs.cnut.edu/-,enderat.
• 33: Murphy, C., Coover, D., & Owen, S. (1989). Development and validation of a Computer Self-Efficacy Scale. Educational & Psychological Measurement, 49, 893-899.
• 34: Roethlisberger, F. J., & Dickson, W. J. (1939). Management and the worker. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. (reissued 1975).
• 35: Schein, E.H. (1985). Career Anchors: Discovering Your Real Values. San Diego: University Associates.
• 36: Schuler, R. S. (1975). Sex, organizational level and outcome importance: Where the differences are. Personnel Psychology, 28, 365-375.
• 37: Venkatesh, V, Morris, M. & Ackerman, P. (2000). A Longitudinal Field Study Investigation of Gender Differences in Individual Technology Adoption Decision - Making Processes. Ogranizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 83(1), 33-60.
• 38: Viswanath Venkatesh , Michael G. Morris, Why don't men ever stop to ask for directions? Gender, social influence, and their role in technology acceptance and usage behavior, MIS Quarterly, v.24 n.1, p.115-139, March 2000 [doi>10.2307/3250981]
• 39: Vincent, P, Peplau, L. A., Hill, C. (1998). A longitudinal application of the theory of reasoned action to women's career behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(9), 761-778.
• 40: Wanous, J. P., Keon, T. L., & Latack, J. C. (1983). Expectancy theory and occupational/organizational choices: A review and test. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32, 66-86.
• 41: Wilson, J. S. & Stocking, V. B., & Goldstein, D. (1994). Gender Differences in Motivations for Course Selection: Academically Talented Students in an Intensive Summer Program. Sex Roles, 31,349-350
• 42: Zedeck, S. (1977). An information processing model and approach to the study of motivation. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 18, 47-77.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

General Terms:
Documentation, Management