Factor Identification for Women Progression in IT Organisations-A Conceptual Study

Women remain under-represented in leadership positions in IT organizations, there are variety of barriers that create a glass ceiling effect. However, some women do attain leadership positions. A study was undertaken to identify the factors contributing to women progression to leadership positions. An understanding of factors contributing to women progression to leadership positions may facilitate women at entry level to work their way to leadership positions. Extensive literature review revealed sixteen factors that contribute to women progression to leadership positions, but the published work did not relate to IT Industry. The previously published work was across the industry spectrum ranging from manufacturing, banking, insurance, retail, modeling, infrastructure and Information Technology. The authors could not find any specific study in the Indian context. The study was interesting because the culture, ethos and social expectations of the Indian working women leaders were different from that of the western and developed countries. This exploratory qualitative study, primarily aims at understanding the factors contributing to women progression to leadership positions in the IT organisations. The researchers used a purposive sample of 35 women and conducted in-depth unstructured interviews. This conceptual paper tries to identify various factors leading to women progression in Indian IT industry which adds to an evolving body of knowledge aimed at understanding women progression to leadership positions in IT organisations.