Chapter 3 summarizes why there is little value in the traditional approaches and further massive spending is unwarranted, and highlights the rise of social media and other pervasive, disruptive, empowering technologies. These changes suggest that a new model of career choice is needed; one that incorporates the influence of these technologies and the centrality of the individual. We need to adapt to the rules of the new social era or lose relevance.
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete – Buckminster Fuller: architect, inventor and futurist.
“Over the last 20 years much has been done to encourage female students to choose computing courses and computing careers. Some instances of positive effects have been reported, yet the proportional disparity in gender in this discipline continues to grow” (Ashcraft, Eger, & Friend, 2012).
“Attraction, Promotion and Retention” has been the catch cry of many passionate activists in this field around the globe for decades. Yet to date the “secret” of:
- 1.
Attracting females to study technology and to enter technology careers;
- 2.
Navigating suitable promotional pathways; and
- 3.
Retaining women in technology industries
has not yet been discovered despite significant global efforts. Why is this? What has been done and what can be done? What is at the core of this issue?
TopWhat’S The Scorecard?
The short answer is “Good Intentions – no Outcomes” (Barbara Tobin: industry participant, former president of Queensland’s Women in Technology [WiT] and former chair of Australian Women in IT Science and Engineering [AWISE], personal communication, August 5, 2013).