What's Wrong with the Pipeline? Assumptions about Gender and Culture in IT Work

Abstract

In scholarly and practical discourse, the under-representation of women in technology and science is often attributed to a shortage of women “in the pipeline.” In this essay, we analyze this dominant metaphor and argue that it imposes an appealing but simplistic symbol onto a labor market filled with exceptions and divergences. Further, it calls attention to a normative “flow” rather than lived work experiences. We suggest the pipeline metaphor be augmented with a focus on the layers of culture surrounding IT work. Research on culture change suggests that significant systemic interventions are required; organizations must achieve a critical mass in the number of women before change can occur. Without systemic change, short-term strategies will not make the crucial difference in the numbers of women in IT.