Social Psychological Intervention to Increase Gender Diversity in Tech Companies

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). The principal investigator will conduct a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Washington Seattle that includes conducting a research project and implementing a professional development plan. The research focuses on micro inclusions in the workplace - that is, respectful treatment from others that include women and their contributions to shared work goals, and whether such micro inclusions can increase women’s sense of fit and improve outcomes in the STEM companies where they work. This research offers a novel framework of what inclusion can be at work. Inclusion is not only being well represented or having inclusive policies. It also means being able to contribute skills and expertise and being treated in ways that allow those contributions. The study will provide the foundation for a new class of interventions and strategies that focus on small everyday behaviors to improve employee and company outcomes. In doing so, the project holds promise to shed light on how companies can become more attractive to a wider and more diverse population of applicants interested in joining and staying in the STEM workforce. The research project has three aims. The first aim is to test whether micro inclusions improve organizational outcomes for women, including those of color, in STEM companies, and show that this is mediated by sense of fit. In a correlation survey design, the investigator will assess how often employees from real-world companies experience micro inclusions from their managers and test whether such experiences are correlated with employee job satisfaction, motivation, company trust, and turnover intentions. The second aim is to distinguish micro inclusions from other positive treatments. In online experimental designs, the investigator will manipulate whether participants receive a micro inclusion or other forms of positive treatments (e.g., being invited to a team happy hour) and assess their sense of fit and organizational outcomes. The third aim assesses whether a randomized control trial video intervention can increase managers’ use of micro inclusions with their team. This work will demonstrate a novel interpersonal strategy (i.e., micro inclusions) that companies can immediately begin to use to supplement their diversity and inclusion efforts. Additionally, this work may offer insights on how to begin to create company culture change. If micro inclusions are shown to improve company outcomes, and the intervention successfully changes managers’ behaviors, future interventions might establish, convey, and reinforce norms of micro inclusions to increase gender diversity at work. The project responds to the STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) program that aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. 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.