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Women and the Challenge of STEM Professions pp 41–61Cite as

Organizational Culture and Climate: Historic Systemic Barriers for Women

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Abstract

Institutions of higher education and workplaces were not designed with women in mind. External paid work was always meant for men, which led to the creation of organizations with structures, systems, and processes created by men. These settings have also had cultures and chilly climates, generally not welcoming for women. As a result, women have often had outsider status, experienced discriminatory practices based on gender and race, and struggled to achieve their career goals. Though adaptable because they have been socialized to engage in networks and learn from their environments, the costs for women in STEM have been high. Experiences with presumed incompetence and other forms of unconscious bias and disrespect have placed STEM women in double binds, requiring them to work twice as hard, be hypervigilant about their surroundings, and self-affirm they are competent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arredondo Advisory Group, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Patricia Arredondo

  2. Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Marie L. Miville

  3. Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Christina M. Capodilupo & Tatiana Vera

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  3. Christina M. Capodilupo
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  4. Tatiana Vera
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Arredondo, P., Miville, M.L., Capodilupo, C.M., Vera, T. (2022). Organizational Culture and Climate: Historic Systemic Barriers for Women. In: Women and the Challenge of STEM Professions. International and Cultural Psychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62201-5_3

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