Explaining the IT Gender Gap: Australian Stories for the New Millennium

Abstract

The starting point for this study was the findings from a previous study of Australian women working in IT. Four major themes that resulted from a study of IT professionals in Queensland were used as the framework for a deeper exploration of the current position of Australian women in IT. These four findings were explored through open-ended interviews with a broader range of Australian women working in IT. The findings of this study revealed the influence of socio-cultural factors on gender in the Australian IT profession. This paper also discusses more recent research on gender and IT, particularly the attempts to address the undertheorisation of this research area and the significance of mentoring.