Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field - Research Paper Example

? Running head: LACK OF MINORITIES Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field First and Name Certification and Approval A Directed Research Project on Lack of Minorities in the Information Technology Field is submitted as my own research for approval of the Graduate Faculty of Strayer University in candidacy for the degree of Master’s of Business Administration. Submitted by: Date: ______________________ Approved by: ___________________________ Date: _______________ Abstract While most industries in the job market today are diverse in composition, reflecting the working population as a whole, the Information and Technology field seems to still be lacking in this area. This paper takes a look at this apparent discrepancy, what the recruiting and retention practices are for the Information Technology field. It also looks at how society may play a role in this issue and how, if left unchecked, this issue could create a problem in for the workforce as a whole. Throughout the paper suggestions are made for how this situation can best be resolved. It is the hope that one would walk away from this essay with information on how discrimination is taking place in the I.T. field and what can be done to change it. Table of Contents Certification and Approval 2 Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 Introduction 5 Discrepancy 6 - 8 Recruiting and Retention Practices 9 - 13 Affects on Society 14 - 15 Conclusion 15 - 16 References 17 - 20 Discriminatory Hiring Practices in the Information Technology Field A young five year old boy runs with lighting fast speed toward the huge sycamore as his mother and her friend watch, with amusement, from the park bench. He proceeds to climb the tree and swing bravely from the bottom branch. He mother chuckles slightly, “What are you going to do, boys will be boys” she sighs to her friend. The boy’s seven year old sister, who has been watching the scene unfold, decides she will attempt this feat as well. She begins to climb the tree moments after her brother descends. “Don’t climb up there,” her mother warns, “it’s dangerous, and you’ll dirty your clothes.” Chided, the girl descends and goes back to the swings. From an early age society begins to shape the roles and behaviors that are considered acceptable or unacceptable for males and females. While this differentiation may have played out well at the turn of the century, when the majority of women stayed home to clean and care for the children, and the majority of men worked for a living, in today’s economy many women find the need to seek employment outside of the home. This preconceived notion that women are the weaker sex can then result in issues when women seek a career in a field that has been male dominated. Luckily, today, there are laws in the United States in place to protect equality for women and all other minorities in the work place. However, even with these precautions in place it seems there are some fields that are not equally represented by minorities. One field, in particular, where this is becoming a problem is that of Information Technology. After taking a look at the apparent discrepancy, the recruiting, and retention practices in the IT field, and how this could ultimately affect society if left unchecked, it should become apparent how society is playing a role in the underlying discrimination seen in IT and what can be done to change it. Discrepancy It is estimated that between 2000 and 2010, there will be a call for 2.5 million new Information Technology jobs available, which is the result of growth in Information Technology occupations, resulting in a high demand for skilled Information Technology workers (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2005). It is projected that from 2008 to 2016 there will be a 29% increase in workforce demands for computer system analysts, a 37% increase in demand for jobs for database administrators, and a 38% increase in the availability of jobs for software engineers (U.S. Department of Labor, 2005). Considering the percentage of working women has almost doubled since 1950, with increasing demands in the Information Technology field, most would assume women would be well represented in this field. However, The National Science Foundation (NSF) examined the population of students who earned computing and/or technology degrees in 2005, only 25% of the 2005 graduates nationwide were women while 75% were men. It seems, however, women are not the only minority group that is severely under represented in this field. When race was considered, only 10% of the 2005 graduates were Black (National Science Foundation, 2005). Diversity Inc., magazine publishes an article every year that list the top 50 companies for diversity. Their methodology for this is sending out surveys to any interested company with at least a thousand employees. In addition to that list they also publish a list The Diversity Inc., Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention. According to Diversity INC, to be considered for this list a company must show they are reaching out and making all efforts to recruit and retain minorities. Specifically, Diversity Inc., looks at the racial/ethnic/gender demographics within ratios for the entire work force compared with new hires; ratios for overall management compared with management promotions; ratios between three levels of management; work/life benefits; recruitment and retention programs aimed at LGBT employees and employees with disabilities; and relationships with professional and educational organizations (Frankel, 2011). This magazine, however, did not list Information Technology as one of their top ten or even top fifty. For this to be such a booming field in a down turned economy, one would assume it would be well represented by all people, minorities included. So the question arises is there a lack of interest by minorities in this field, or is there actual discrimination accruing in the hiring practices? One way to successfully measure this question is to see how minorities are doing in other business fields, as far as representation, and success. A study by American Express showed that, the number of small businesses owned by women is growing fifty percent faster than the total number of small businesses. Women-run businesses in this industry have grown by almost twenty six percent since 2002. Additionally studies show that by 2018, one-third of new U.S. jobs will be generated by female-owned companies, compared with sixteen percent now (Gannon, 2011). It seems that in most companies women are not only well represented both they are being put into key leadership roles. Ship man and Kay reported in their book, Womenomics, that, “The need to keep women in those top positions is not only relevant during an economic downturn, but essential to continued organizational success” (Shipman, & Kay, 2009). This is due to the drive that is being felt by many women, and minorities in general, to prove what they can accomplish, “The light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time,” as Senator Hillary Clinton so eloquently put it, to insure the next generation know not only that they have the right to succeed but they have the ability (Oliphant, 2008). In the field of information technology, however, it is reported that only a quarter of all firms are run by women (Gannon, 2011). So it seems that women are breaking barriers and becoming leaders in most other fields, with the exception of Information Technology. Some assume that women are simply not interested in computers or technology. There was a rumor going around in the 1980’s that boys brains are geared more toward science and math, while girls are geared more toward language and arts. However, according to a study from American Association of University Women, young women are outperforming young men in both reading and math in secondary school. Additionally the study implied that it is not inability, but lack of interest, that keeps women away from pursuing careers in information Technology fields (Greider, & Corbett, 2010). According to the studies women are at the forefront of what it takes to be successful in the Information Technology fields. The challenge, then, for women in the Information Technology field is not a misunderstanding of the work or technology; it is the fact that it is extremely hard to break into a male dominated field. According to, Algebraic Cycles and Motives, although girls tend to have more experience in math and some engineering than boys in K-12 education, only 1% of females taking SATs in 2006 indicated an interest computer and information sciences majors (Nagel, & Peters, 2007). This seems to be due to the fact that educational institutions tend to focus on female under-representation as either an issue of recruitment or retention, on behalf of the company, not the university. Some feel it is the perception of information technology jobs that is given. On any given day at most information technology companies, you will see men walking to lunch in there Polo’s and Khaki pants, or maybe they have encountered the IT man crawling around on the floor trying to repair someone’s computer. Some believe that this male dominated perception has led to a disinterest for women to pursue a career in Information Technology. However, David A. Kolb, an educational theorist, suggests that individuals often make a decision to pursue a particular major based on how well their preferred styles of learning coincide with the norms of that field (Kolb, 1984). Considering many women are interested in the subjects that would lead to a successful Information Technology employee, this fact would prove that the culprit for the lack of representation of minorities in the Information Technology field must lay elsewhere. Recruiting and Retention Practices Recruiting and retaining the right individual to fill a vacancy within a company is essential. Most companies want an individual with the right amount of education, and the drive to commit themselves to the job for the long term. Because of this many companies activity recruit on college campuses when they are looking for new employees. Engineering and Information Technology companies, for example, will typically reach out to I.T. and Engineering schools for recruits. Often the recruiters that are sent to college campuses help to not only employee those who are graduating, but they help to encourage the underclassmen who are still deciding on their major, in why they would want to pursue a certain career, and how they could go about doing so. Information Technology, however, as mentioned previously, is comprised of seventy five percent male employees. Out of those men, only ten percent are African American. So it stands to reason that the majority of recruiters that are being sent to college campuses to encourage and recruit new IT professionals are white males. PPC indicated that many minority-group students are deterred from careers in science and engineering by inadequate preparation, a scarcity of role models, low expectations on the part of others, and unfamiliarity with the culture and idiom of science and engineering (Mentoring, 2011). Under represented, many minorities will do not pursue a career in this field, which would lead to the inadequate preparation indicated above, this in turn just perpetuates the cycle of unrepresented minorities in the IT field. Many companies will employ a minority, or female recruiter, to insure they ingratiate minority and female job seekers (Avery & McKay, 2006). They have found that by using recruiters that resemble the potential candidates they in turn draw in a more diverse workforce. This methodology puts many minorities at ease because they then feel that these companies have a diverse population of employees at the company and they want to continue to attract a diverse workforce. When companies recruit from college campuses, a students perceptions of a particular company is based on the contact they have from the recruiter, therefore having diversity in the recruiters sent is very beneficial (Avery & McKay, 2006). If the information technology field would employee this practice, in the recruitment procedures of its companies it could play a significant role in introducing minorities into the field. The next issue of great importance for most companies is retention. Not only is it important to attract a diverse group of employees, but after they are hired it is important that they have a desire to stay with the company. It would not suffice to simply hire a minority for the sake of saying the company was equally employed. If this was the case very quickly the employee would become unsatisfied and might begin to look for employment elsewhere. In order for this to occur there must be a retention program in place for all employees including minorities. It only makes sense for companies to want to keep there employees considering the time and resources that are put into recruiting and training them. One of the main factors that cause dissatisfaction for women in a company is a lack of flexibility from the employer. Many working women are also mothers and caregivers to their elderly parents. This factor coupled with the long hours and stress usually associated with the Information Technology field can be a deterrent in the retention of female workers. Working Mothers magazine compiles a survey every year called the, 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers (Owens, 2010). They indicate that some attributes women look for are, a balance between personal and profession life and the flexibility of the employer. A career in most Information Technology positions, however, typically requires fifty hours plus per week. This is one of the many issues that can make the IT an unattractive field for recruiting and retaining minority, female workers. However, this does not mean that women, especially women with children, are not driven. In fact there has been an increase in higher education for women with children over the past few decades. From 1970 to 2008 the rate of women with degrees has tripled (U.S. Bureau of Labor, 2011). This does, however, mean that if the Information Technology field wants to broaden its spectrum of employees it will need to allow for some flexibility in its department. For instance many companies are now allowing accommodations for nursing mothers rooms, so that women can return to work sooner after having a child, and still feel there are contributing to the overall health and well being of their family. Also, considering it is mostly a computer based job, allowing for telecommuting for part or some of an employees responsibilities’ could allow for mothers to complete all assigned duties as well as spend time with and balance their families and personal lives. Another big factor in the retention of employees is creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and acceptance. Having a work environment and culture where women and minorities feel equally as important as men can greatly contribute to this type of atmosphere. A former corporate recruiter, Robert Steward notes, “While some might feel this can be attained by just doing some sensitivity workshops that make everyone feel good for an afternoon, I believe there is much more to retaining minority employees” (Stewart, 2007). A company can accomplish this feeling of equality and respect by training management in treating all employees regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and all other protected classes equally. This would include insuring that there is representation of all of these protected classes in management positions. Also in insuring that all employees receive wages based solely on position and job requirements not gender or race. Retaining a great minority employee that has realized she is making twenty percent less than her white male coworker, would most definitely not contribute to a atmosphere of equality and respect. Most would assume that this would not be an issue in today’s society with all the laws in place to protect minorities, however, on May 29, 2007, in a five to four decision, the Supreme Court upheld the US court of Appeal for the 11thth Circuit-Altanta, Georgia, by denying a female worker that had sued her employer for pay discrimination based on gender. The only woman on the court, Justice Ginsburg, even admitted that women are paid less than their male counterparts (Supreme Court, 2007). If this holds true for Information Technology companies it would greatly hinder the retention and satisfaction of minority employees. Identity salience can also be a factor when it comes to companies retaining a diverse compilation of workers. Gender inequality is not an unheard of terminology when it comes to human resources and the hiring process. A way for companies to combat this, is finding untraditional ways to recruit and retain diverse employees. For minorities seeking employment it should be very visible that companies have equal employment recruiting and retaining practices. Brandi Williams, APR, a PR consultant stated, “The commitment to diversity must resonate with and through employees. Potential candidates who values diversity wants to work for companies that demonstrate a sincere commitment to diversity through their actions” (Johnson, 2007). Many minority job seekers are attracted to companies based on different factors than non-minorities. Minority applicants viewing minorities in ads perceived greater interpersonal similarity to the adverting firms’ employees and were more attracted to the organization (Avery & McKay, 2006). An individual needs to be able to see their selves reflected in management, and they should have the respect they deserve from their superiors and co-workers. How does that individual see themselves day to day at a company matters. Cultural identity has been a positive preference for same-race friendships in social activities with minority groups (Avery & McKay 2006). This puts the job of attempting to incorporate all groups of employees together in team building and social exercises. Having employees interact in non-work related activities, and classes can help build friendships, and a since of camaraderie that will ultimately lead to long-term employment. The Scandinavian Journal of Management reported that the strategy of creating a diverse teams, or groupings of employees, facilitates synergy within the corporation (Lauring, 2009). Though some may feel this should not be an issue for a company, work should be done at work, and play should be done at home, the turnover and retention of skilled minority information technology workforce is presents an issue for companies. Therefore it does become the company’s responsibility to try to combat this problem. Not only does the company lose headcount, when they loose an employee, they also loose the knowledge the former employee held as well as their skill set (Carayon, Schoepke, Hoonakker, Haims, & Brunette, 2006). Prejudice will always be a factor in any situation you can think of, however some argue that minorities are using this to their advantage to gain positions at companies and department where they do not belong nor are they qualified to be there (Antwi-Boasiako, 2007). A study by M .Tryman disregarded this notion when he noted even where a “black candidate appear to be legitimately qualified” a committee of all whites are less likely to hire the candidate (Tryman, 1986). African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians as a group make up about twenty three percent of the U.S. population, but only about six percent of the Engineering workforce. The fact is prejudice does still exist in this society and it is the job of companies to insure that they do all they can to create an equal balanced workplace, that has a representation of all races and genders in both management and hourly working positions. The Affect on Society Thus far it has been discussed what the discrepancies are in the Information Technology field, as far as hiring practices are concerned, and what has contributed to this discrepancy, now it is important to look at what affect this can have on society if it is left unchecked. Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) reported in 2001, numbers that reflect the current trend of Information Technology companies. They indicated there was a fifteen percent loss of IT workers compared to a four percent loss of non IT workers (Carayon, Schoepke, Hoonakker, Haims, & Brunette, 2006). It is apparent then that the IT field has a long way to go in the retaining and support of its employees. And diversity must become a part of that mission. Diversity must be seen as critical for companies. As mentioned above the IT field is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. and most of the modern world. They provide much of the computer programming, engineering, and technical support needed for the survival of businesses and corporations everywhere. However, organizations employing a diverse work population will supply a much greater variety of solutions and problem solving. Therefore, diversity should been seen as an advantage rather than a disadvantage (Johnson, 2007). Not only is there a variety of viewpoints and knowledge presented by a diverse workforce but there is also a broader range of services that can be rendered. It is true that different genders and nationalities will approach a problem from a different angle. This, if put into the I.T. field, has the potential to produce an explosion of new ideas and inventions. San Diego University stated that, a diverse group of skills and experiences, including languages and cultural understanding, can allow a company to provide services to customers on a more global basis (Greenburg, 2010). This would allow for growth within what the I.T. field can provide for its customers, in both goods and services on a much larger scale. A diverse workforce will also allow for more effective execution of the work that needs to be done. If employees feel more comfortable communicating their point of view, then the company obtains a larger pool of ideas and experiences to draw from. This can aid the company in meeting business strategy needs and the needs of their customers more effectively (Greenburg, 2010). This is true at both the management and non-management levels. Emerald Group Publishing found that employee perceptions of diversity at the senior management level in a company was positively related to the perceptions of organizational performance (Allen, Dawson, Wheatley, & White, 2007). Meaning diversity must come from the top down. There has to be management in place that represents the diverse population and holds the benefits of having a diverse workforce as key to the corporation’s success. If it is the I.T. field that will lead this world into the future they need to do so as an example to all other companies of how important diversity is. The Scandinavian Journal of Management reported that it is only through an organization actively seeking to create a culturally diverse workforce that they will accomplish this goal (Lauring, 2009). When companies see the benefit of having a diverse workforce it can only become beneficial for the bottom line. A variety of viewpoints, broader range of services, more effective execution of the work. Conclusion After taking a look at the discrepancy, the recruiting, and retention practices in the IT field, and how it will affect society if left unchecked, it becomes apparent that there are a myriad of factors contributing to the problem of under represented minorities in the Information Technology field. Not only is this problem a disadvantage to a vast majority of the work force, but it is a disadvantage to the advancement and growth of the Information Technology field in the U.S. It is also apparent that by creating more diverse representation in the recruiting process and by encouraging representation in the upper management population Information Technology can generate a more diverse workforce. This will not only benefit society and the growth of minority workers, but it will propel the Information Technology field to greater heights than some can imagine. References Allen, R.S., Dawson, G., Wheatley, K., & White, C.S. (2007). Perceived diversity and organizational performance. Employee Relations, 30(1), 20-33. Antwi-Boasiako, K. (2007). The dilemma of hiring minorities and conservative resistance. Chronicle Careers, 53(32), 225. Avery, D.R., & McKay, P.F. (2006). Target practice an organizational impression management approach to attracting minority and female job applicants. 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