Women in STEM Occupations in the Federal Government: Supervisors and Turnover

EasyChair Preprint 1083

Abstract

This paper expands upon the representative bureaucracy literature by investigating determinants of the passive representation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations in the federal workforce. Women are notably underrepresented in STEM-based occupations in both the public and private sectors. Women’s turnover rates in STEM fields tend to be higher than both their male counterparts in STEM occupations and higher than women who work in professional occupations. Previous research suggests that, among other reasons, women leave engineering at high rates because they do not believe they are provided adequate opportunities to use their science and math abilities, suitable opportunities for advancement, or appropriate recognition for their work. The authors argue that including women at the supervisory level in STEM-based work units may reduce these and other problems that drive high turnover rates for women in STEM fields. The authors test this proposition using panel data on women’s STEM employment and turnover in Cabinet agencies from the years 2005 to 2017.

Keyphrases: STEM, Turnover, gender, human resources, personnel, representation

@booklet{EasyChair:1083,
  author    = {Lawrence A. Brown and J. Edward Kellough},
  title     = {Women in STEM Occupations in the Federal Government: Supervisors and Turnover},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 1083},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}