Women engineers : expectations and perceptions

This qualitative study examined the expectations and perceptions of women engineers from the perspective of the engineers themselves and managers of employees in technical jobs. Eight entry and seven mid-career women engineers from a geographic cross-section of the United States were interviewed about their careers. Seven male managers of technical workers were interviewed about what they perceived the women engineers' perceptions to be. The engineers' expectations and perceptions were primarily addressed through a discussion of critical incidents in the form of best and worst experiences. The managers were asked about how they believed the engineers perceived their careers. These two perspectives were subsequently used to develop theories of the career development of women in the engineering profession. Themes emerged in categories of self-perception, best experiences, worst experiences, expectations, how managers viewed women engineers, opportunity and recognition, and family issues. The women engineers were generally found to be focused on task accomplishment at entry level. At mid-career, they assumed successful task accomplishment and had broadened their perspective to include relationships and interactions with others as important. Depending on their place in the corporate hierarchy, managers were found to have differing views about women engineers. Those managers in direct contact with the workforce were task oriented, while those at highest levels were more relationship oriented. Two theories and their supporting constructs were suggested from these themes. One theory is based on role conflict between the emerging family, career development of women engineers, and the sponsorship role of lower level engineering managers. The second theory proposes that as women engineers mature, they broaden their task focus to include group achievement. Paradoxically, as they become more holistic in their approach to problem solving with an increased awareness of relationships, they also become alienated in the workplace. The entry level engineer has an individual task focus and feels more included. These theories and their supporting constructs are presented in a fashion that provides insights for change.