How STEM Careers Can Become More Attractive to Women
ResearchModern Corporate Culture Helps to Increase Female Leadership in STEM Professions
Women are less likely to choose careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and less often reach leadership positions within these fields. Consequently, female leaders in STEM remain a rarity. But what needs to happen for more women to forge successful careers in these domains? A recent study conducted by Northwestern University, Boston University, LUISS University, and ZEW Mannheim suggests that higher representation of women in supervisory boards and executive boards, along with more modern corporate cultures, can contribute to increasing gender diversity in STEM professions. Many companies are therefore implementing internal quota regulations or establishing codes of conduct to promote diversity.
“A higher share of women in companies’ leadership boards is a crucial component in increasing gender diversity in STEM professions. However, this alone is not sufficient to significantly raise the percentage of female leaders in the field,” says Bernhard Ganglmair, a researcher in ZEW’s “Economics of Innovation and Industrial Dynamics” Unit and head of the Junior Research Group “Competition and Innovation”. “Equally important are the informal norms and values of companies. Ultimately, they have the power to create an environment where women enjoy working and want to advance in their careers.”
Benefits of gender diversity
The researchers exploited a natural experiment within the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Members of the committee that make the appointments for IETF leadership positions are randomly selected. In the early 2000s, a higher proportion of female members on the appointment committee did not increase the number of women appointed for leadership positions. In fact, higher female representation on the nominating committee lowered the chance of women appointed into leadership positions. Only after the entire IETF became aware of the benefits of gender diversity did the committee appointed more female leaders. “What’s particularly interesting is that having more women on the committee doesn’t automatically lead to the appointment of more female leaders. It is therefore advisable to raise awareness of gender diversity among both men and women,” explains Ganglmair.
About the Internet Engineering Task Force
The IETF is an organisation dedicated to the technical development of the Internet. Its goal is to develop standards and best practices to improve the functioning of the Internet. The researchers chose the IETF, in part, because of its unique way of selecting members for its appointment committee. They are randomly chosen each year from a list of volunteers, a process that partly aims to make the committee more diverse.
