SBP: Broadening Participation of STEM Faculty Through Work Design

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Nontechnical Description of Significance and ImportanceWork design plays a central role in the way individuals experience work. Structural characteristics of jobs such as social support, decision-making autonomy, and perceived significance are positively associated with outcomes such as job satisfaction and retention. However, effects of characteristics of jobs vary across gender, even when males and females occupy the same position. Differences are also evident in time allocation on faculty jobs: males spend more time engaged in research than females, who put more time into mentoring and service. Gendered patterns are especially pronounced among STEM faculty. While such differences have been well documented, we have little understanding why the work experiences of male and female faculty diverge. The proposed project uses work design theory as a lens for investigating the variability in work experiences and job outcomes across male and female STEM faculty, providing new insight into structural barriers that help and hinder underrepresented groups in STEM careers. The plan of work includes a three-wave longitudinal panel design survey, a 10-day daily experience sampling method study, a series of focus group interviews, and an archival review of promotion and tenure files. Technical DescriptionLack of female role models discourages female participation in STEM careers; thus, increasing the number of female faculty in male dominated STEM fields is key to broadening participation of women in STEM. Findings from the theoretically derived proposed set of relationships will elucidate the complex interplay between top down and bottom up processes within organizations that contribute to alignment between individual and organizational goals and that can lead to the design of effective programs and interventions within organizations. Expected outcomes include a more nuanced understanding of the daily work experiences of female STEM faculty and how those experiences differ from their male counterparts. It is also expected that the findings will reveal micro level processes that inhibit the successful progression and retention of female faculty. This proposed research unites diverse expertise across several fields of science in effort to apply a multidisciplinary perspective to the research questions. The findings will be used to help inform and stimulate ways in which organizations can alter work design processes, in an effort to advance the careers of women in STEM. Funding will be used to support a doctoral student researcher. The doctoral student will gain research project management experience and be involved in products associated with the research (e.g., conference presentations; publications). The proposed project will also provide research experiences for undergraduates who will be supervised by the doctoral research assistant. Such experiences contribute to the development of a scientifically literate workforce in that undergraduates who participate in research have reported cognitive gains such as increased confidence in their ability to do science and learning to "think and work like a scientist." Developmental activities and experiences will include lab meeting and departmental presentations, scholarly article discussions, and written developmental plans.