The Perceptions and Experiences of Female ICT Leaders in South African Organisations

Nina Evans

The South African situationConstitution of South Africa, Act No 108, 1996: “a society based on democratic values” “social justice and fundamental human rights” “every citizen is equally protected by law” “free the potential of each person”Rights and freedom of women an integral part of

the transformation process since ’94.

President Thabo Mbeki: “no economy can meet its potential if any part of its citizens is not fully integrated into all aspects of that economy”.

And yet… The BWA Research2005 - Census on the position of women in

professional positions in South Africa. Companies listed on the main board of the JSE

Securities Exchange and (355) 17 large state owned enterprises (SOEs) on 30 September

Women make up 52.1% of the adult population in SA and 41.3% of the working SA population.

Women constitute only 19.8% of all executive managers in SA.

Only 10.7% of all company directors and 6.2% of CEO and board chairs in the country are women.

The ICT CharterThe ICT sector is recognized by government as

being of strategic importance to the future growth and prosperity of South Africa’s economy, as it is amongst the top 5 sectors in terms of its contribution to the GDP of South Africa.

One of the main objectives of the charter is to increase the extent to which women - especially black women - participate meaningfully in all areas of the ICT sector.

Women in technology initiatives The Association of SA women in Science and

Engineering (SA-WISE) Women in ICT (WICT) Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) Techno-girl National Science and Technology programme SA reference group on Women in Science and

Technology (SARG)

… and many more

And yet….

Women are still under-represented inthe ICT industry

How critical is this situation in South Africa?

What happens at school/university?Why don’t girls in SA enter into IT

courses?

What (who?) motivates girls to choose to study IT? The role of the teacher?

Computer studies at school level? Gender-inclusive classroom practices?

Only 8 out of 127 women were motivated to study IT by their career guidance teacher.

With what expectations do IT girls approach their studies?

The Business-IT interface

Chicken-and-egg situation: The failure of ICT projects cause relationship problems and inherent relationship problems cause project failure (“us versus them”).

A truly collaborative partnership between business and IT requires a different mindset from both ICT and the business clients.

Companies should aim for business-ICT ‘fusion’.(A merging of divorced, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole).

Why do we want more women in ICT?

Not just for the numbers. The ICT industry really needs their skills

Research on female ICT leaders Online questionnaire. What are the perceptions and experiences of female ICT leaders in SA companies?

Focus of the research:1.A female perspective of the business-IT

interface2.The challenges for female ICT leaders3.The strengths and characteristics of female ICT

leaders to bridge the Business-ICT gap4.Success factors for females in the ICT industry

DemographicsCompanies of varying size and across many

different industries. 48% are in senior and executive management

positions and 33.1% in middle management.69.3% have a partner and 67.7% have children. 45.7% of the participants have a national diploma

or a B degree. 38.6% have postgraduate qualifications. Only 6% have no post-matric qualification.

71% White, 18% Black, 8% Coloured and 2% Asian.

Female Perception of fusionThe most important reasons for non-fusion, as

ranked by the women:1.Ineffective communication. 2.Lack of knowledge transfer between ICT and the

business.3.Lack of skills, attributes and attitudes of ICT

personnel (technical- business- and especially soft skills).

4.Business managers do not take enough responsibility for the business-ICT relationship and project success.

“There is a bad relationship between the business world and the IT world. Much work needs to be done to bring these two worlds together.”

“Interrelation is still major problem for ICT and business.”

“The lack of communication and relationship building from ICT people leads to a negative attitude towards them by clients.”

”I think generally there is a lack of communication between ICT and Business. There is a gap that needs some hard work.”

Women have special characteristicsParticipants felt that women are generally …

able to multi-task more humane in their approach to business better communicators more willing to share knowledge willing to ask when they don’t know something better relationship builders able to see the bigger picture. More persistent

… than men

“I have found in my business that women on the whole are more patient than men.”

“Women are better teachers and communicate better than men.”

“I think in general that women tend to listen more.”“The natural service orientation of women helps

meet client needs.”“Women are more sensitive, which means we pick

up nuances and undercurrents better than men. You do get the exceptions, but they are by far the minority.”

Women’s important role in fusion

Women are generally good at communicating

Women are natural educators and listen more

Women have the ability to acquire the necessary technical skills to add to their interpersonal skills

Women are often the relationship managers within families and at work

It seems that women have a wealth of EQ and an understanding of social and cultural issues

Do women realise that they have an important part to play in the industry?

How can these special characteristics be channeled to the important ICT

industry?

Why do women leave an ICT career?

We need to know …

Why then, are women under-represented in the ICT industry?

How many women have IT qualifications, but do not work in the

industry?

Which types of positions do women mostly fill in the ICT industry?

Challenges women face in ICT1. Work-family conflict2. Lack of female role models 3. Women’s contributions are not valued4. Negative perception & stereotyping of women in

general5. The masculine nature of ICT 6. Negative perception & stereotyping of ICT

employees specifically7. Salary inequity8. Culture issues and a negative societal attitude

towards women in ICT

The majority agree that the challenges are different for men and women: Women have to prove themselves more to get

recognition Sexual harassment Women lack self-efficacy Skills shortage (especially technical skills) Tokenism and BEE prejudice Discrimination against Whites

Other challenges for women in ICT

“Women have to look after the family, but men often cannot support the family. Women are left with the burden of supporting and looking after the family.”

“I believe that while men might logically acknowledge the competence of women, there is sometimes an internal struggle in terms of how they see women in society.”

“Females are fitted into a certain category and it is hard to break through that barrier.”

“I think men bargain harder and end up with a better compensation package.”

Another interesting question…

What can be done to help women overcome these challenges?

Are women leaving the corporate environment to start their own

business, because of these challenges?and, if they do

Do they start businesses in the ICT field (or coffee shops/guest houses)?

InterventionsWhat interventions are done to

motivate girls to enter into the ICT field, and what interventions are

aimed at motivating them to stay in an ICT career?

How successful are the interventions?

Who should initiate these interventions? (Companies, government, other

organisations)

Success factors for the world of ICT1. Hard work 2. Determination/diligence/ drive to succeed/decisive3. People/relationship skills, 4. Leadership skills and seeing the bigger picture5. Dedication and commitment 6. Results/goal orientation7 Passion/interest for the field of work8. Willingness to learn 9. Persistence, patience and perseverance 10. Role models and support from other people11. Intellect and talent/aptitude/ technical ability 12. Service orientation and Customer focus

“The ICT industry is not only about technology, but also increasingly about

people, their needs and business goals.”

How do we get the message out that women have an important role in

bridging the business-IT gap?

How can women be motivated and prepared for this industry?

Thank you for your attention…

Suggestions from the audience