SBP: Collaborative Research: A Two-Part Project Examining Team Discrimination by Gender in STEM teams and a Way Forward

William Marsh Rice University, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

Though gender issues are pervasive throughout STEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and math) careers, representation of women is lowest in engineering. A myriad of reasons for low female participation in engineering have been investigated, such as pay and promotion opportunities and family-related constraints. Attention has also been given to the role of workplace discrimination, as women in STEM experience discrimination at higher rates than women in non-STEM disciplines. However, few researchers have focused their attention on how the day-to-day experiences of women in engineering might facilitate or impede discriminatory behavior. While many of the existing studies on workplace discrimination have focused on the individual or the organization, we argue that teams play an overlooked role in women's experiences in engineering. Taking a team-centric approach, we examine interpersonal discrimination and its multi-level ripple impact on both individual and team outcomes. The current project is designed to complete three high-level objectives. Our first objective is to identify whether and how engineering team experiences differ by gender, specifically in relation to team discrimination. As a second objective, we will examine the effect team discrimination has on engineering team outcomes (e.g., performance, creativity). Finally, our third objective is to examine the impact team discrimination has on individual-level outcomes and specifically the career trajectory of female engineers. To effectively carry out the stated objectives, we will use complementary methods to conduct two primary studies. We will begin with a multilevel, longitudinal examination of discrimination in STEM teams, specifically in relation to female team members. This first study will address the concern regarding a lack of longitudinal, team-level data and provide insight regarding an understudied phenomenon, team discrimination. We follow with an experience sampling study examining team discrimination toward females working within the STEM field and the effects of such occurrences throughout their daily lives and long-term career aspirations and decisions. The culmination of this program will provide a greater understanding of how team experiences shape the career path for women in STEM, with the overall goal of retaining women in STEM careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.