Research
Some of our award winning research on women in the STEM professions:
Personal Vision: Enhancing Work Engagement and the Retention of Women in the Engineering Profession
Why They Stay: Women Persisting in US Engineering Careers
Other Research-Based ARticles on Women in STEM Professions
Solving the Equation from AAUW
Second Generation Gender Bias in the Society of Women Engineers Magazine
The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering and Technology
The Case for Investing in Women from the Anita Borg Institute
Stemming the Tide: Why Women Leave Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Updated in 2012
The Business Case for Gender Diverse Workforce
To Society
Headline: Societies with more women in the workplace are stronger economically
“Women, Work, and the Economy: Macroeconomic Gains from Gender Equity” This International Monetary Fund (IMF) Study shows that more women in the workplace improves the economy (2014).
Christine Lagarde, IMF Executive Director told NPR:
“We found that if females were working in the same proportion as men do, the level of [gross domestic product] in a country like Egypt would be up 34 percent, up 27 percent in a country like India but also up 9 percent in Japan and up 5 percent in the United States. All economies have savings and productivity gains if women have access to the job market. It’s not just a moral, philosophical or equal-opportunity matter. It’s also an economic cause. It just makes economic sense. It’s a no-brainer.
Forbes published Linda Scott’s work showing a linear relationship between Women’s Economic Development and National Competitiveness
Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, McKinsey and others all have done research and provide documentation that women are key economic drivers.
To Organizations
Headline: More gender diversity in organizations has been found to increase financial performance and improves innovation. Additionally women have been shown to be effective leaders. Retaining women saves money.
360-degree survey results were studied on 7280 leaders. Evaluators rated each leader’s effectiveness overall and on the 16 leadership competencies. For example: initiative, developing others, inspiring and motivating, and pursuing their own development.
On 12 of 16 competencies, Females were rated more positively by the total of all respondents. The bias of most people is that females would be better at nurturing competencies such as developing others and relationship building. While this is true the competencies with the largest differences between males and females were taking initiative, practicing self-development, integrity/honesty, and driving for results.
Inclusive Workplaces Linked to Increased Organizational Performance
Significant findings from this study by Catalyst:
“What makes women feel included also makes men feel included. We also found that to be inclusive, leaders may not need a different tool set for each country in which they operate.”
In six countries including in the study Catalyst found:
“the more included employees felt, the more innovative they reported being in their jobs. In every country, employee perceptions of inclusion contributed substantively—more than 40% on average—to reports of innovation. In Australia, Germany, and the United States, employee perceptions of inclusion accounted for 19% to 22% of innovation. In India, employee perceptions of inclusion accounted for 62% of innovation…”
Gender Diversity on Teams Makes the Teams Smarter
Companies With More Women Board Directors Experience Higher Financial Performance
Solid Research Supports Link between Gender Diversity and Business Results
Why Women are Good for Business
The Anita Borg Institute’s Summary Innovation by Design: The Case for Investing in Women discusses
- Improved operation and financial performance
- Increased innovation
- Better problem solving and group performance
- Enhance company reputation
To STEM Women
Headline: Plenty of jobs and pay is higher than most other professions
Women in STEM professions earn 33% more than women in non-STEM jobs according to a report by the US Department of Commerce Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 47% of people employed in the US are women and 51.4% of all management, professional and related occupations are women. But women remain underrepresented in the higher paying STEM professions. In 2013 the STEM profession included the follow percent women.
- Scientists 46.1%
- Technology 22%
- Engineering 10%
- Math 25%
Many STEM professions are growing at rates faster than average according to the Occupation Outlook Handbook compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The President’s Council on Science and Technology estimates a deficit of one million STEM workers in the US by 2022.
Gender Stereotypes and Gender Bias
Educate Everyone About Second-Generation Gender Bias Harvard Business Review Blog
Female Hurricanes are Deadlier than Male Hurricanes a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Harvard Business School Dean Apologizes and NY Times Article on Gender Equity Efforts at Harvard Business School