WOMEN IN TECH THE FACTS

However, these schemas also lead us to filter information in ways that may lead to
misperceptions, misinterpretations, or misunderstandings, resulting in unconscious biases.
For example, we might miss certain strengths, talents, or characteristics when someone does not
fit our “schema” for what a “good leader” or a “good technical person” looks like. Likewise, we might
misinterpret behaviors, like characterizing women as “too aggressive,” when the same behavior from
men is often deemed more acceptable. See NCWIT’s interactive video on unconscious bias that explains
these dynamics in more detail: ncwit.org/resources/unconscious-bias-video.
FIG. 2.1 // Implicit Bias is More Salient in Homogeneous Organizations
SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
SCHEMAS/
UNCONSCIOUS
BIASES
SUBTLE
INTERACTIONS
INSTITUTIONAL
BARRIERS
EMPLOYEES
©NCWIT. 2016
These biases can pose problems for all workplaces, but they can be even more pronounced in
“majority-group” environments, as is the case in many tech companies or departments. In such
an environment, systems emerge to reflect and meet the needs of the majority-group population.
However, if these policies or systems do not change with the times, they can inadvertently inhibit the
success of members who differ from the majority. A wealth of research shows that these biases also
ultimately diminish innovation, productivity, and the company’s bottom line.
As noted in Figure 2.1, implicit biases play out in two distinct ways: subtle, everyday interactions
and institutional practices. Subtle dynamics may be isolated to specific individuals, teams, or
interactions. When these biases become more systemic or encoded in company policies or practices,
they result in larger institutional or systemic barriers.
Below, we first take a close look at some of the ways these biases play out in everyday interactions.
In the following two chapters, we will take a look at how these biases also create institutional barriers
to recruitment, retention, and advancement of underrepresented groups.
WOMEN IN TECH: THE FACTS 21