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Gender Disparity in Students’ Choices of Information Technology Majors

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang Yu

    (Mount St. Joseph University, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States)

  • Gros Tristen

    (Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States)

  • Mao En

    (Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States)

Abstract

Background: The gender disparity in the Information Technology (IT) field has persisted over the years. In 2018, only 27.2% of IT workers were women. Once hired, women face more challenges, and they are leaving the field twice as fast as men are. The misconception that women are weak in tech is one of the root causes of gender disparity issues in IT. Objectives: We examine the gender disparity in students’ choices of IT majors, as well as the decision process of Computer Information Systems (CIS) graduates. Methods/Approach: We use the United States public universities’ student data from 2010 to 2018. Both the Pooled and the Satterthwaite t-test are used to investigate the gender disparity issue among the students. Results: Our results support our hypothesis that female students are statistically less likely to choose CIS than their male peers are. An additional analysis of students’ grades in CIS courses shows that female students perform equally well as male students do. We did not find any evidence that it takes longer for female students to get the CIS degree; however, female students did change their majors more often. Conclusions: Female students tend to avoid IT majors; they often think they may not do well in the courses; however, such an assumption is not true. Our findings provide strategies for university and high school administration to be more proactive in developing recruiting strategies to attract and retain female CIS students.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang Yu & Gros Tristen & Mao En, 2021. "Gender Disparity in Students’ Choices of Information Technology Majors," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 80-95, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bit:bsrysr:v:12:y:2021:i:1:p:80-95:n:2
    DOI: 10.2478/bsrj-2021-0006
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nishtha Langer & Ram D. Gopal & Ravi Bapna, 2020. "Onward and Upward? An Empirical Investigation of Gender and Promotions in Information Technology Services," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(2), pages 383-398, June.
    2. Reena Patel & Mary Jane C. Parmentier, 2005. "The Persistence of Traditional Gender Roles in the Information Technology Sector: A Study of Female Engineers in India," Information Technologies and International Development, MIT Press, vol. 2(3), pages 29-46.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    information technology; computer information systems; gender disparity; information technology education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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