Perhaps it’s time for a fresh approach to IS/IT gender research? - Information Systems Foundations: Constructing and Criticising - page 89

country (Panteli et al., 1999). In European countries only 25% of those working in the
industry are women, while in the United States the figure has been reported as being
as low as 20% (Ahuja, 2002). All indications are that the situation in Australia follows
these patterns. In contrast to other areas within science and technology such as engin-
eering, where numbers of women studying and working are increasing, the number of
women studying and entering the IS/IT industry is actually declining (The Women in
Science Engineering and Technology Advisory Group, 1995).
Little research has been done within the IS/IT industry that has explored the experience
of women and how it can be used to address the continuing problem of gender imbalance.
'Most research on women in the information technology (IT) industry has been concerned
with practical questions: measuring disadvantage, establishing causes, and attempting
to put in place policies and strategies that will rectify the situation' (Pringle et al., 2000).
The scope of IS gender research
Much of the literature considering gender issues in IS/IT is framed within a positivist
philosophy and uses quantitative methods to examine the research problem (Ahuja,
2002; Igbaria and Baroudi, 1995; Holmes, 1998; Khazanchi, 1995; Truman and Baroudi,
1994; Baroudi and Igbaria, 1994; Frenkel, 1991). While this research identifies the extent
of the gender imbalance, it is largely based on dichotomising IT professionals on the
basis of biological sex. This means that females are seen as a stereotypical group and
individual differences are not considered (Adam et al., 2002). Accordingly, the effective-
ness of this approach is limited as it precludes the opportunity to gain any insight into
the personal experiences of women who have become IS professionals and subsequently
continue to successfully work in the industry.
There is little evidence of IS gender-focused research based on a subjectivist approach
using qualitative methods (Pringle et al ., 2000; O'Neill and Walker, 2001; von Hellens
et al ., 2001; Trauth, 2002; Webb, 2002). Within these examples, while Trauth (2002)
and Webb (2002) are explicitly presented as feminist research, the work reported by
Pringle et al. (2000) implicitly adopted this stance. Subjectivist research enables the re-
searcher to explore the research problem in greater detail from the perspective of the
research subject. While subjectivist research cannot usually be easily generalised to the
wider community it can, and does, have the capacity to highlight areas and issues that
may benefit from further investigation and discussion.
Feminist research
A fundamental aspect of feminist research is that it is conducted for women rather than
on women (Reinharz, 1992; Reynolds, 1993). It involves a broad and dynamic theory
within which numerous positions exist (Millen, 1997). Central to feminist research are
goals of social change and improved representation (Humphries, 1997). It must also be
believed that women have been oppressed and not treated fairly, and that there is action
that can be taken (Grimshaw, 1986). Further, the role of the researcher and the research-
er's rapport and familiarity with the participant is also important in feminist research
(Reinharz, 1992). Feminist research lends itself to the use of qualitative methods enabling
the researcher to explore each woman's individual perspective. While quantitative re-
search methods and a feminist epistemology are not mutually exclusive it would be
uncommon to find quantitative methods, with its focus on hard, numerical data used
for feminist research (Stanley, 1990; Neuman, 2000).
Feminist research often uses case studies to analyse change in a situation over a period
of time, the significance of a situation for the future and the connections between com-