Based on our research we found the following features of the
occupational culture of the information technology workforce:
Frequent use of technical terms, jargon, and vocabulary
Dealing with negative stereotypes about IT people
Extreme and unusual demands in the profession
Handling the complaints of end users
Satisfaction of helping others with technology
Esoteric knowledge, feeling superior to those not in IT
Unique physical settings of IT departments
Pervasiveness: having a job that is also a hobby
Shared apocryphal stories about the history of IT
Lack of formal work rules
Absence of clear requirements for membership
We believe that some of these characteristics may cause a "culture shock" for
women and minority students who are in the early stages of their careers in the
IT field, causing them to leave and change fields. Using the results of this
research, we hope to be able to develop an intervention program that will
improve the retention of women and minority students in the technology field.
Using this intervention, teachers, professors, and employers can ease the
transition of minority and women students into the IT field.
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