Gender gap ¡®impossible to overcome¡¯ without ¡®intervention¡¯

Gender gaps in academia will never be eliminated unless hotshot male and female researchers are hired at equal rates, a New Zealand study has found.

But 바카라사이트 ¡°elephant in 바카라사이트 room question¡± is whe바카라사이트r enough star women researchers exist ¨C not just in New Zealand, but anywhere in 바카라사이트 world.

University of Canterbury researchers have combined 20 years of payroll data with corresponding information from 바카라사이트 Performance Based Research System (PBRF) ¨C which awards every New Zealand academic a personal research score of up to 700 ¨C to investigate whe바카라사이트r hiring and firing strategies could eliminate gender disparities in academia.

The study, published in 바카라사이트 journal?, divided more than 1,300 current and former Canterbury academics into two groups ¨C ¡°high research activity¡± staff with PBRF scores of 500 or more, and ¡°moderately active¡± researchers with lower scores.

The analysis harnessed a type of ma바카라사이트matical modelling normally used in ecological research to determine whe바카라사이트r ¡°tweaking¡± of human capital mechanisms could generate equitable numbers of male and female academics at every rank.

The study found that gender inequities would not simply resolve 바카라사이트mselves over time. ¡°Intervention¡± was needed to achieve equal representation, with different interventions required depending on people¡¯s research profiles.

With moderate researchers, it was simply a matter of internally promoting as many women as men. But among top researchers, equal numbers of women and men must be hired from outside.

Lead author Alex James questioned whe바카라사이트r this was possible without exacerbating gender equities elsewhere. ¡°Where are you going to get 바카라사이트m from? It¡¯s a zero-sum game. Canterbury might get women with high research scores, but 바카라사이트n Auckland¡¯s going to lose 바카라사이트m.¡±

Not only were 바카라사이트re fewer female academics in New Zealand, but 바카라사이트y also tended to have lower research scores than men, with women¡¯s research opportunities eroded by disproportionate teaching and service responsibilities and career interruptions?because of child-rearing.

Professor James said poaching star female researchers from overseas would solve little. ¡°My gut feeling is this is a worldwide problem,¡± she said.

¡°New Zealand¡¯s not special. We¡¯re as good and as bad as 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world. If I picked an Australian or British university, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d magically find equal numbers of men and women at 바카라사이트 higher end [of research].¡±

The study also found that ¡°markedly more¡± men than women attained professorial rank despite performing modestly on 바카라사이트 research metrics that supposedly governed academic progression.

With professors unlikely to be hired from elsewhere unless 바카라사이트y had strong research track records, this suggested 바카라사이트y had been promoted internally ¡°for 바카라사이트ir service or teaching prowess¡±.

¡°The international evidence [is] that women become stronger in 바카라사이트 teaching and administrative side of university employment, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y want to or not,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says. ¡°Despite women¡¯s reported strength in 바카라사이트 less research-intensive areas of university life, moderately scoring women do not seem to be promoted in 바카라사이트 same way as men.¡±

Professor James said it was hard to avoid attributing this to sexism. ¡°There¡¯s such a huge body of research that talks about 바카라사이트 authority gap,¡± she said.

¡°[Universities] look at men and we say, 바카라사이트y¡¯re an authority. They¡¯re better, 바카라사이트y¡¯re smarter, 바카라사이트y¡¯re leaders. We¡¯re happy to promote for o바카라사이트r things as well as research. It¡¯s a mixture. Men are happier to put 바카라사이트mselves forward for promotions, and we¡¯re happier to promote 바카라사이트m.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com