An explorative study that examines the experiences of women within the UK technology industry and their interpretations on the causes of the digital gender divide. The masculine cultures and agency of women potentially give rise to the gender divide. Using data from interviews with 10 women in technology, the researcher examines how women identify the institutional barriers, such as gendered organisations, and how their agency affects their confidence and motivators in remaining and entering the industry. The findings elucidate how the gendered technology structure brings barriers to progression and entry and how HR requires strategic intervention to generate a diverse and equal workplace culture. Further discussion reveals how women use their agency to determine their position within the industry, their satisfaction, and self-efficiency on whether they have the capabilities to enter and progress within the technology field. These understandings aid efforts in developing necessary recommendations on the role of human resources in acting strategically at institutional level to mitigate barriers and mediatory at the personal level to attract and retain women within technology.
Key words: gender, institutional barriers, individual choice, UK technology industry, society, human resources
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