New challenges for women seeking an academic career: the hiring process in Portuguese higher education institutions

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of the potential impact of changes in recruitment and hiring processes in Portuguese higher education institutions -under the New Public Management framework -on the representation of women in academia. Based on official data from the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, two major conclusions emerge. First, Portuguese higher education institutions reproduce the same inequalities in career structures that are dominant in other occupational spheres, with the same phenomena of horizontal and vertical segregation both in universities and polytechnics careers. Second, recruitment and selection processes have an important influence on women in academia with the use of informal procedures emerging as an obstacle for women entrance into academic careers.

Good jobs – but places for women?

“…Similar trends emerged in other studies (e.g. Kloot 2004;Krefting 2003;Carvalho and Santiago, 2010). For the most part references to discrimination by the men only occurred in the context of positive discrimination, which was depicted as 'making allowances' 'the suspension of academic standards' (John Keane).…”

Portugal: Dimensions of Academic Job Satisfaction

“…In this study, it was pointed out that from a cultural perspective, women in leadership positions are generally well accepted in Portugal: data point to a high representation (21%) of GPEARI 2010 ) women in the top jobs in academia. However, a vertical segregation, along with horizontal segregation, persists in female academics' access to the top academic rank careers (Carvalho and Santiago 2010c ) . Therefore, it is relevant to examine carefully not only the gender differences per se but also other variables such as the higher education subsystems and the career ranks.…”

Job Satisfaction around the Academic World

“…For instance, in 2008 at the top of the university academic career in the public sector, there were 996 men to 278 women (a ratio of 3.58:1), whereas the difference was less pronounced in the polytechnic institutes, with 428 men and 345 women at the top of the academic career (1.24:1). However, a vertical segregation, along with horizontal segregation, persists in female academics' access to the top academic rank careers (Carvalho and Santiago 2010c ) . However, another study presents a more positive view of the role of women in academia ( European Commission 2008 ).…”