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Networks of Exclusion in a Gendered Organization in the High-Tech Industry

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Networks of Exclusion in a Gendered Organization in the High-Tech Industry NETWORKS OF EXCLUSION IN A GENDERED ORGANIZATION IN THE HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY A dissertation presented By Ethel L. Mickey to The Department of Sociology and Anthropology In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the field of Sociology Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts May 2018 1 NETWORKS OF EXLCUSION IN A GENDERED ORGANIZATION IN THE HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY A dissertation presented By Ethel L. Mickey ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities of Northeastern University May 2018 2 ABSTRACT As part of the reinvigorated #MeToo movement against sexual harassment following the 2016 US presidential election, a wave of high-profile complaints of sexism have surfaced against prominent technology companies including Google and Uber. Innovative technology companies in the United States widely assert their commitments to diversity, but the high-tech industry nonetheless remains dominated by young, white men. Efforts to advance women in knowledge- based industries regularly focus on networking, evidenced by the plethora of support programs designed to help women build strategic relationships to overcome powerful, male-dominated networks commonly referred to as “old boys’ clubs.” This dissertation explores the everyday, gendered practices of networking through a qualitative case study of an American high-tech organization that I call Data, Inc. I contribute to gendered organizations theory, critical feminist studies of technology, and social network theory by examining the interplay between individual agency and organizational structures. I argue that networks and practices of networking inadvertently reproduce intersectional inequalities in work organizations in the new economy, characterized by intensified economic precarity and workplace transformations like globalization and the rise of information technology. Networking interactions reproduce exclusionary mechanisms such as implicit bias and stereotypes, creating symbolic boundaries that limit opportunities for women and minorities. An organizational framework reveals how features of Data, Inc., including its gendered segregation and masculine culture of engineering, serve to constrain women’s relationships with influential organizational actors. This dissertation project is comprised of three empirical articles. In the first paper, I explore the gendered networking strategies and behaviors of individuals working in high-tech – finding men to spontaneously build connections with each other through informal, masculine activities 3 like video games, while women struggle to make connections with influential colleagues at formal networking programs, as they are often only women-only spaces. This article critically examines the company’s women’s group, which I find to inadvertently exclude women of color or other marginalized women who do not fit the dominant company culture. The second paper examines the gendered organization and culture of the high-tech industry through the lens of Data, Inc., revealing how organizational restructuring leads to the implementation of bureaucratic features that differentially shape women and men’s networks. Finally, in the third paper, I draw on my participant observation at networking conferences to show how women-only networking events individualize women’s responsibility for their careers, circulating the neoliberal notion that women can “have it all” through practices of self-improvement. Women-only events ignore persistent institutional barriers to women’s advancement and inclusion such as discrimination, stereotyping, and – paradoxically – women’s exclusion from social networks. While the three articles engage unique research questions with their own theoretical foundations, they are connected through their overarching aim to understand how gender inequalities are reproduced in the new economy, and specifically in the white, male-dominated world of technology. This research makes significant empirical and theoretical contributions to sociological studies of gender, work, and technology. The central questions of my dissertation – how networks and practices of networking may inadvertently reproduce inequalities in new work organizations – are especially urgent for STEM organizations at the leading edge of the U.S. economy seeking to create effective diversity initiatives. I conclude that networking and corporate networking initiatives do little to alter configurations of power and status in the technology industry, and in fact reify structural barriers to women’s success. Women and marginalized workers themselves raise important issues with the programs being offered to them, yet their concerns remain whispers 4 in confidential interview settings or across bathroom stalls due to expectations of being misunderstood or fears of backlash. My project amplifies their voices to shift the discussion of gender inequality in high-tech away from “fixing” women and toward an analysis of the networks of exclusion endemic to the technology industry. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is perhaps unsurprising that in my study of networks, I came to realize the profound importance of my own support network, many members of which I would now like to thank. I would first like to thank my advisor and dissertation chair, Kathrin Zippel, who has helped me navigate graduate school as both a scholar and a person. I will always be grateful to you for your encouragement of my ideas, for introducing me to the world of feminist sociology through Sociologists for Women in Society, and for reminding me that we all need to take a break from our work occasionally. Linda Blum has gifted me with her feminist mentorship throughout my graduate education. I always appreciated our bits of personal conversation before or after our meetings, when you demonstrated your care for me as a whole person. Although, I’ll never forget, after one of these meetings, you instructing me to stop telling you about my data and, “Sit down and write!” I owe my first sole-authored publication to this advice. Steven Vallas took me under his wing while still wrestling with the endless responsibilities of being department chair. You always found time to read my work, to offer critical feedback, and to check in. Your guidance and (seemingly endless) amount of positive encouragement surrounding this project were invaluable this year on the job market. Many thanks also to Erin Kelly at MIT for her theoretical insights, smart feedback, and generous commitment to me. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Northeastern has been very supportive of me during these past six years. I would like to thank the chair of the department, Matthew Hunt, and the director of the graduate program, Liza Weinstein, as well as my many professors for their intellectual prodding and encouragement: Nina Sylvanus, Doreen Lee, Laura Senier, Gordana Rabrenovic, and Ineke Marshall. A special thanks to Suzanna Walters for her support and constant nudge to engage across disciplines; I will always cherish my year working 6 with you at Signs. Many thanks also to the administrative team of the department: Joan Collins, Mary Ramsey, Tracy Johniken, and Pamela Simmons. Joan, your continued support and kind words were vital. I owe profound thanks to The Office of the Provost at Northeastern University for fellowship support during this dissertation project. I would also like to thank the Sociology Department at Vanderbilt for their early encouragement to pursue graduate studies. Karen Campbell, you infamously tried to kick me out of your Research Methods class, but nonetheless, here we are. Your initial confidence in my abilities as a sociologist continues to motivate me. I would like to extend my gratitude to all of the Data, Inc. workers who participated in this study for their time and candidness. A special thanks to “Susan” for seeing the value in this project, “Pheobe” for letting me follow you around and watch you work, and “Nicole” for introducing me to your friends in engineering. My peers and colleagues at Northeastern provided endless support, encouragement, and laughter during these long years. I have enjoyed getting to know and exchanging ideas with Marhabo Saparova, Ezgi Rasit, and Tibrine da Fonesca during my final years of this program. Miguel Montalva and Lauren Richter, thank you for being authentic and for always listening. Thanks to Sarah Faude for your friendship and wit. Thank you, Mike Shields, for your continued support, endless offers to help me out, and always showing up. My writing group has taken on several different iterations over the years, and several of my colleagues read early versions of my work and showed me the way; deepest thanks to Firuzeh Shookoh Valle, Emily Cummins, Mollie Pepper, Katrina Uhly, Yingchan Zhan, Ezgi Rasit, Betul Eksi, and Behice Pehlivan. I will always be so proud of all that our writing group accomplished. The most recent version of this group – Firuzeh, Emily, and Mollie – you helped me find joy in my writing even in the darkest moments. Thank you for always saving an extra hour after our meetings for a margarita (or two) 7 – our gatherings have been some of my favorite moments of graduate school. Other friends from outside of the world of academia have been crucial to sustaining me on this journey. Carli Roth, Cate Rooney, Cass Rubenstein, Rebecca McAdams, Andrew Vassallo, and Andrew Castraberti – you always
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