Timmers, Willemsen, & Tijdens

Gender diversity policies in universities: a multi-perspective framework of policy measures

The article aimed to discover if policies utilized to increase women as university professors is effective.  They utilized a literature review and then a survey (questionnaire and interviews) to see what policies were used and how effective they are.

One method was using a gender equality policy for hiring.  As students, more females are enrolled than males in undergraduate institutions, and it is even said they graduate faster and with better grades (p. 720).  The how when it comes to becoming professors are there so little females in the profession?  Again, one answer is the gender equality policy.


Theory- three factors used to explain under-representation of women- individual, cultural, structural/institutional influences

• Individual- men and women are basically the same
• ImpoCultural- org's culture, history, ideology, and politics are related to women's limited success
• in some cases, gender discrimination still exists
• Company is not welcoming to women-- several studies suggest that having more women on the search committee helps with barriers limiting women in the hiring process
• affirmative action plans, equality committees and task forces are effective

Research Questions Authors are Trying to Answer

1. Can gender equality in academics fit within above factors?
2. Gender equality policy-- random or patterns?
3. Gender equality policies lead to more females in academia?

Case Study- 14 universities in Netherlands- mostly with HR

• Yes, the policies fit in with individual, cultural, and structural perspective
• Helpful-- mentoring and coaching female staff, women's network
• good to have it sponsored by university
• Important to note!! Does not include women working part time, pregnancy or maternity leave
• Also, exit interviews were not used on how to make things better for women, but they should be in future
• many initiatives- too short in duration, departments didn't comply with suggestions or even directives
• ex- "it doesn't fit our way of thinking, this policy is outdated" (p. 731)-- this makes me sad :(
• buy in is needed from everyone!  if not, doomed to not succeed 
• 
  

individual, cultural, and structural perspective correlations

-cultural and structural highest

-individual and structural lowest