Sexism pays: Tech CEOs astounded
There are some things you think you know, but never dare to say. Until a very clever scientist says it for you.
First, there was the idea that the Large Hadron Collider experiment might not go off with an instant bang. And now news has emerged this week from the laboratories of the University of Florida that men who have sexist attitudes get paid more.
Every time you think the world has moved forward, it is information such as this that makes you lie down in the fetal position, clutch your favorite Kelly Clarkson CD and sob a little.
The scientists running this experiment, Timothy Judge and Beth Livingston, believe they accounted for every possible skewing variable before they reached this manically depressing conclusion.
Their study lasted 26 years and embroiled 12,686 guinea pigs--some of whom appeared to be sexist (guinea) pigs. Well-off, sexist (guinea) pigs.
On average, men who favor traditional gender roles make $8,500 a year than those with more gender-balanced views.
Female readers should clutch their mallets very gingerly when they hear that the situation is reversed for them, but with very different proportions. As Bernie Ecclestone, the head of Formula One racing, once said: "I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women should all be dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances." With that in mind...the researchers found that women who don't believe in traditional roles earn only an average $1,500 a year more than their white-dressing counterparts.
When women and men are working in an egalitarian environment, the researchers found, there appears to be little difference between their salaries. But in organizations with more traditional attitudes, the pay discrepancy between men and women might remind some of The Shining.
"These results cannot be explained by the fact that, in traditional couples, women are less likely to work outside the home," Judge said in a statement. "Though this plays some role in our findings, our results suggest that even if you control for time worked and labor force participation, traditional women are paid less than traditional men for comparable work."
The researchers are keen to see if this is merely a Mammonist American phenomenon. They cite European research that suggests the most traditional female workforce can be found in the same place as some of the world's finest beer, the Czech Republic. While a country with beer of a lesser reputation, Norway, appears to have found a way to create something of a financial balance between the sexes.
However, the researchers' final conclusion is an interesting and, for some, no doubt, a wishful and wistful one.
"Our results have a certain normative assumption," they write, "that earning money is a social 'good'. (....) it is important to recognize that in industrialized nations such as the United States, the correlation between income and happiness is relatively modest."
This skirts with dangerous proximity to a suggestion that women (and gender-enlightened men) shouldn't worry, as money isn't everything. Indeed it isn't. But does it have to be said, or even thought, that if a woman is doing the same job as a man she should be paid the same number of dollars?
There are indications that, when it comes to the tech world, women with a traditional view of gender relations might have a greater chance of "success."
The Harvard Business Review concluded that women get sick of tech companies not necessarily because of some clear imbalance in pay, but because of the delightfully-termed "antigens." These antigens seem to contribute greatly to the fact that 52 percent of women drop completely out of the science, engineering, and technology business in their 30s.
"We found that 63 percent of women in science, engineering and technology have experienced sexual harassment. That's a really high figure. They talk about demeaning and condescending attitudes, lots of off-color jokes, sexual innuendo, arrogance; colleagues, particularly in the tech culture, who genuinely think women don't have what it takes--who see them as genetically inferior," said the researchers.
One wonders what the very largely male bunch of tech CEOs is doing about this parlous situation. Because if one looks at the whole picture painted by the Harvard and Florida research, some troubling questions arise.
Should one conclude that if you're a woman you're more likely to survive (and, perhaps, even "thrive") in a tech company if you can deal with being treated in a sexist manner? And do we also conclude that those women who tolerate sexist behavior do so because it actually corresponds with their world view in some way, even though they might be paid significantly less than male counterparts?
Or do we need some more research? Which tech CEO will sponsor it?
Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
you epitomize xenophobia ,ignorance and racism found among ordinary citizens.
Sheesh.
Also, I have to say that I believe that some sexism isn't so much sexism per say, but just people that take offense easily. Sometimes a joke is just a joke. I don't think that if you find a sexist joke funny that you're necessarily sexist. I make fun of my friends, but that doesn't mean I don't like them. Same thing with making sexist jokes or any other off-color jokes. A lot of times, its just for fun. I think the problem pops up when one can't tell the difference between ill-will and good humor. Granted, sometimes there really are sexist folks in the tech sector because there is a lingering bias that women don't know how to use computers, etc, etc. Though, strangely enough, I don't think thats completely the fault of the one committing it though. I think it has to do with that whole geek/jock rivalry as well. In general, women throughout most of the early years tend to go for the jock instead of the geek. I think that sometimes causes the geek to harbor ill-will towards women.
Interesting theory, pjhenry.
Chris
Also, speaking of salaries, it would be interesting to find out how many H1B folks determine the salaries of the employees in US companies?
It would also be worth finding out how many women work in Indian IT software companies, call centers and other technology industries within India or anywhere else in the world for that matter! I am sure the general assumption based on ogman's comments would be that all these women would be sexually harrashed and must be working amongst dozens of sexist men!
- by wildhare111 October 6, 2008 9:47 PM PDT
- That is a seriously scary picture... I work as a help desk technician, in a very small office with 30-something males, and I have to say from the day I arrived to now, almost a year later I am still treated as if I know nothing, and what's worse, is that much of the time I am doing a bulk of the work, and getting passed up completely on congrats. To make matters worse, I came from a much higher position as an analyst working in a high profile project as a database expert, and despite the fact that I had a year of experience doing this, I was treated like a mere secretary for several months by guys who have only worked in IT on a customer service or help desk level. Am I kidding? I wish! As for the trogs who want to imagine that all women being discriminated against are pseudo-feminazi lesbians who want to take over the office and paint all computers pink, I challenge you to a duel. The fact is my background is far more diverse than many tech men who I have met, and can only do half of what I have done throughout my lifetime. I deserve and expect to be treated E-Q-U-A-L-Y not like some little girl who just stepped out of a japanese anime hacker movie. Sutekina desune?
- Reply to this comment
-
-
- by desicnetuser October 15, 2008 9:16 PM PDT
- wildhare111,
-
-
(12 Comments)And for the guys who I work with, they are fairly liberal socially, with possible political conservatism, but hardly traditional. In working on the project in the past I worked with a team of developers who were all implants from North and South India, and all of whom were quite reserved at the fact that they were dealing with a girl half their age, and my ex-military lesbian African American boss. Welcome to America Boys!
Didn't want to bring this up...but are you talking about the same supposedly 'forward minded generally non-sexist' american society that in its more than 200 years history had NEVER HAD a FEMALE president !!!!
And are you criticizing the supposedly narrow minded mostly sexist cultured indian society which in a span of 50 years history of becaming a democratic republic has elected a female Prime minister (Indira Gandhi), who was not only popular, but respected and admired by the most of the nation, and also the country whose current president is a FEMALE (Prathibha Patil)....
Please grow up!! And try not to generalize a whole nation and its culture based on (mis)conceived perception about a few people that you interacted with.
And though I don't know exactly the kind of attitude you had to deal with those H1B people you worked with, can I ask you when did "reserved" nature = 'sexist' attitude!
Did it ever occur to you that these H1B people from India come from a generally reserved (not sexist!) , not outspoken, non aggressive culture into a new country, new workplace, new attitudes, etc. And though most of them are very proficient in English, they are often not as eqally proficient in the oral communication aspects, eloquency or accent etc and are quite often misunderstood or have to repeat themselves trying hard to get rid of their indian accent. And it takes time for them to get into the grove and communicate freely with the peers. More so for people who are in their middle ages (Since the latest Indian generation is no longer strangers to the western culture)
No wonder you found them reserved!!