Sustainable Careers in Academia, Implicit Gender Stereotypes and Glass Ceilings: Explaining the transfer from Associate to Full Professor at a Dutch University.

Author(s):

Christine Teelken(presenting / submitting)Yvette Taminiau

Conference:

ECER 2017

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 04 B,

Paper Session

Time:

2017-08-23

09:00-10:30

Room:

K5.05

Chair:

Rosemary Deem

Contribution

Despite constant efforts amongst stakeholders, numbers of women in top positions continue to remain small. Particularly in the higher education sector (e.g. European Commission, 2009), we see that at higher organizational levels the percentage of women decreases, which is what we call the leaking pipeline. In the Netherlands, the percentage of female full professors has risen very slowly up to 18% in 2016 (LNVH, 2016), but this is still one of the lowest percentages in Europe. Within the Netherlands, the percentages differ between 26 (Open University) and 7,6% (Wageningen). This university is amongst the higher group with about 18-20 % in 2015. The most important reasons for these disappointing results lie in the variety of factors determining further career steps for women. We distinguish here between 1) structural and institutional factors such as the power relations and university governance, and 2) the lack of information and knowledge with regard to how these factors influence female careers in academia. (Teelken & Deem, 2013).

We have decided to focus on the transfer between the associate to full professor level as this remains the hardest barrier to cross amongst all the scientific disciplines, with a glass ceiling index of 1.5 (meaning that the percentage of female associate professors is 1,5 times higher then the percentage of female full professor). A glass ceiling index higher than 1 implies a stagnating transfer. We consider the glass ceiling here as the invisible barriers that hinder the transfer of women to higher positions (e.g. Morrison, et al., 1987).

Method

Our study is based on a multi-method research; we collected data through three different research methods amongst 14 full professors at a Dutch University, mainly at the faculty of social sciences (10 out of 14). What makes this combined approach special is that it enables us to see how unconscious gender stereotypes affect the judgment, appreciation and selection of newly appointed professor. 1) Implicit Association Test (IAT) In order to investigate implicit gender stereotypes amongst full professors we have used the IAT, an implicit association test, in this case focused on gender and careers (Levinson & Young, 2010). In this test, the respondents have to link certain words, which are related to either work or family to male or female names. 2) Vignettes test. This test consists of two parts: 1. In order investigate perception and opinions (Barter & Renold, 1999) we have used two fake descriptions of vacancies and resumes, were the respondents had to choose between a male and a female candidates. 2. In addition, we asked the respondents to choose between typically feminine and male features and link these to the full professorship. 3) In-depth interviews amongst 14 full professors (see table 1). To research the extent to which the respondents were aware of gender stereotypes, we interviewed them about their own experiences with gender during their own career and when they were part of selection committees for the appointment of a full professor. We also asked questions about the gender balance in science and specifically at the University, and the successful and unsuccessful measures which have been carried out recently. The interviews have been analyzed with help of open, axial and closed coding (Boeije, 2012).

Expected Outcomes

Our study reveals that despite the good intentions of the respondents as they agree with the importance of diversity, and worry for the lack of women as full professors, when questioned more profoundly, it appears that their unconscious preferences and prejudices play a role leading to typical gender stereotypes. Our IAT scores show that unconscious gender stereotypes are clearly present amongst more than half of the respondents, both men and women. The gender stereotypes play a particular role when judging candidates for the position of full professor (Van den Brink & Brouns, 2006). Whereas the members of these selection committees strive towards objectivity, they admit that they are unconsciously open for using gender stereotypical considerations when having to make a selection between various candidates (Kaatz et al., 2014). Selection procedures are not as open as they should be in a formal sense. We think that these implicit gender stereotypes hinder the possibilities for women to obtain a full professorship as a sustainable career, and therefore deserve further consideration.

References

Bleijenbergh, I. L, van Engen, M.L., Schulte, L., & Blonk, E. (2010). Femaleen naar de top. Tijdschrift voor HRM, 4. Eisinga, R., & P. Scheepers. (1989). Etnocentrisme in Nederland, theoretische en empirische modellen, Nijmegen, Instituut voor Toegepaste Sociale Wetenschappen. European Commission. (2009). She figures 2009, Statistics and Indicators on gender equality in Science. Accessed September 10, 2012. http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/she_figures_2009_en.pdf. European Commission. (2009). Mapping the Maze: Getting More Women to the Top in Research. Equal Opportunities International 28, (1), 12-113. Fiske, S. T. (2000). Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination at the seam between the centuries: Evolution, culture, mind, and brain. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30(3), 299-322. Fiske, S. T., & Stevens, L. E. (1993). What’s so special about sex? Gender stereotyping and discrimination. In S. Oskamp & M. Costanzo (Eds.), Gender issues in contemporary society (173–196). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Kaatz, A., Gutierrez, B., & Carnes, M. (2014). Threats to objectivity in peer review: the case of gender. Trends in pharmacological sciences, 35(8), 371-373. Levinson, J. D., & Young, D. (2010). Implicit Gender Bias in the Legal Profession: An Empirical Study. Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy, 18(1). LNVH (2016) Monitor Femaleelijke hoogleraren, Publication by the LNVH (Dutch national network of female full professors). Christine Teelken & Rosemary Deem (2013) All Are Equal, but Some Are More Equal Than Others: Managerialism and Gender Equality in Higher Education in Comparative Perspective. Comparative Education, 49, 4, 520-535. Van den Brink, M. C. L., & Brouns, M. L. M. (2006). Gender & excellence: een landelijk onderzoek naar benoemingsprocedures van hoogleraren. Den Haag: OCW. Van Engen, M. L., Bleijenbergh, I. L., & Paauwe, J. (2008). Femaleen in hogere wetenschappelijke posities aan de Universiteit van Tilburg: Processen van instroom, doorstroom en uitstroom nader bekeken.

Author Information

Christine Teelken (presenting / submitting)

VU University Amsterdam

Faculty of Social Sciences

Amsterdam

Yvette Taminiau

VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands, The

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