Windows into workplace equality : gendered experiences of career aspirational employees in the information technology field

Abstract

Using social constructionism and feminist theory, this qualitative study addressed the underrepresentation of women in senior management positions and explored the gendered experiences of male and female employees at a company in the field of Information Technology. The latest statistics of 2010 revealed that positions filled by women account for only 19% and 29% in top management and senior management respectively (personal communication with Lucy Holbol, South African Institute of Race and Relations (SAIRR) via email, April 2012). Data was collected at an Information Technology department of a company in Pretoria, South Africa using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis and a listening guide were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study are located within the theoretical framework of social constructionism of gendered identity as well as the role of language in constructing gender in the workplace. Moreover, the main themes that emerged in the analysis were: the gendered organisational culture; reasons why men are better suited than women for the field of Information Technology; caring for children and the ability to cope with work responsibilities simultaneously; the languaging around senior management positions; the gender of management; and perspectives of race and

gender policies within the South African workplace. Furthermore, the study is significant as it reveals the challenges that continue to persist in previously male-dominated industries, thus highlighting the work that still needs to be done before genuine gender equality can be attained in the workplace.