The Effects of Gender Composition in Academic Departments on Faculty Turnover

Abstract

Using data collected from a sample of 50 academic departments over the years 1977–88, the authors test several hypotheses about the effects of departmental gender composition on faculty turnover. They find that as the proportion of women in a department grew, turnover among women also increased, confirming the prediction that increases in the relative size of a minority will result in increased intergroup competition and conflict. The evidence also suggests, however, that when the proportion of female faculty reached a threshold of about 35–40%, turnover among women began to decline. The proportion of women had a negligible or negative impact on turnover among male faculty. The authors discuss the implications of this research for the implementation of affirmative action policies.

Two‐Tiered Faculty Systems and Organizational Outcomes

“…Consistent with some of the more general research on organizational demography (for example, South, Bonjean, Markham, and Corder, 1982;Tolbert, Simons, and Andrews, 1995), the case suggests that the presence of a large number of nontenure-track faculty in a department contributes to the development and entrenchment of a strong sense of wethem division. The substantial increase in the proportion of lecturers in the department was the result of policies adopted both by the university and the original LFL without careful consideration of the staffing arrangements that would be necessitated or the degree to which these arrangements would be very counterproductive to collaborative relations.…”

What happens before? A field experiment exploring how pay and representation differentially shape bias on the pathway into organizations.

“…While a small number of studies have hinted increases in the size of minority groups carry risks for minorities (e.g., Tolbert et al, 1995;McGinn and Milkman, 2013), most findings suggest that bias against women and minorities is likely to decline in settings where they are better represented. Thus, we hypothesize:…”

“…Past research examining race and gender bias in organizations and in the Academy, in particular, has focused largely on the obstacles that women and minorities face at formal gateways to those institutions (e.g., in admissions decisions and hiring decisions; see Kolpin and Singell, 1996;Attiyeh and Attiyeh, 1997;Steinpreis, Anders and Ritzke, 1999;Bertrand and Mullainathan, 2004;Pager, Western and Bonikowski, 2009;Moss-Racusin et al, 2012) and on the performance of these groups once they have entered (e.g., grades, promotions, pay, job satisfaction, turnover; see Simons, Andrews, and Rhee, 1995;Tolbert, et al, 1995;Toutkoushian, 1998;Castilla and Benard, 2010;Carr et al, 2012;Sonnert and Fox, 2012;McGinn and Milkman, 2013). However, before an individual can be granted or denied admission to an organization, or begin to compete for accolades, she must decide whether to apply, and self-assessments shaped by others' treatment of her can influence such decisions (Correll, 2001;Correll, 2004).…”

“…News and World Report, 2010). This is one of the many reasons that academia has been richly studied by other organizational scholars (e.g., Tolbert et al, 1995;Khurana, 2007).…”

Women Helping Women? Role-Model and Mentoring Effects on Female Ph.D. Student in Economics

“…Tolbert, et al (1995) use female faculty turnover rates as a proxy for the level of mentoring experienced by females in an academic department (a low turnover rate is presumed to be associated with a higher or more successful level of mentoring).]] They find that, over some range, a higher proportion of women in academic departments resulted in higher turnover, which they interpret as consistent with the view that as the relative size of a minority grows, there is increased competition among its members.…”