Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes

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Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes. / Nielsen, Mathias W.

In: Science and Public Policy, Vol. 43, No. 3, 01.01.2016, p. 386-399.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Nielsen, MW 2016, 'Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes', Science and Public Policy, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 386-399. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scv052

APA

Nielsen, M. W. (2016). Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes. Science and Public Policy, 43(3), 386-399. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scv052

Vancouver

Nielsen MW. Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes. Science and Public Policy. 2016 Jan 1;43(3):386-399. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scv052

Author

Nielsen, Mathias W. / Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes. In: Science and Public Policy. 2016 ; Vol. 43, No. 3. pp. 386-399.

Bibtex

@article{569e3b26373f4c6ca43894f44f00f811,
title = "Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes",
abstract = "According to the literature, women researchers are sometimes at a disadvantage in academic recruitment due to insufficient network ties and subtle gender biases among evaluators. But how exactly do highly formal recruitment procedures allow space for mobilizing informal, potentially gendered, network ties? Focusing on the preliminary stages of recruitment, this study covers an underexposed aspect of women's underrepresentation in academia. By combining recruitment statistics and interviews with department heads at a Danish university, it identifies a discrepancy between the institutionalized beliefs among managers in the meritocracy and the de facto functioning of the recruitment procedures. Of the vacancies for associate- and full professorships, 40% have one applicant, and 19% are announced under closed procedures with clear implications for gender stratification. The interviews reveal a myriad of factors explaining these patterns showing how department heads sometimes exploit decoupling processes to reduce external constraints on management function and ensure organizational certainty.",
keywords = "Academic recruitment and promotion, Faculty, Gender, Mixed methods, Networks",
author = "Nielsen, {Mathias W.}",
year = "2016",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1093/scipol/scv052",
language = "English",
volume = "43",
pages = "386--399",
journal = "Science and Public Policy",
issn = "0302-3427",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Limits to meritocracy? Gender in academic recruitment and promotion processes

AU - Nielsen, Mathias W.

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - According to the literature, women researchers are sometimes at a disadvantage in academic recruitment due to insufficient network ties and subtle gender biases among evaluators. But how exactly do highly formal recruitment procedures allow space for mobilizing informal, potentially gendered, network ties? Focusing on the preliminary stages of recruitment, this study covers an underexposed aspect of women's underrepresentation in academia. By combining recruitment statistics and interviews with department heads at a Danish university, it identifies a discrepancy between the institutionalized beliefs among managers in the meritocracy and the de facto functioning of the recruitment procedures. Of the vacancies for associate- and full professorships, 40% have one applicant, and 19% are announced under closed procedures with clear implications for gender stratification. The interviews reveal a myriad of factors explaining these patterns showing how department heads sometimes exploit decoupling processes to reduce external constraints on management function and ensure organizational certainty.

AB - According to the literature, women researchers are sometimes at a disadvantage in academic recruitment due to insufficient network ties and subtle gender biases among evaluators. But how exactly do highly formal recruitment procedures allow space for mobilizing informal, potentially gendered, network ties? Focusing on the preliminary stages of recruitment, this study covers an underexposed aspect of women's underrepresentation in academia. By combining recruitment statistics and interviews with department heads at a Danish university, it identifies a discrepancy between the institutionalized beliefs among managers in the meritocracy and the de facto functioning of the recruitment procedures. Of the vacancies for associate- and full professorships, 40% have one applicant, and 19% are announced under closed procedures with clear implications for gender stratification. The interviews reveal a myriad of factors explaining these patterns showing how department heads sometimes exploit decoupling processes to reduce external constraints on management function and ensure organizational certainty.

KW - Academic recruitment and promotion

KW - Faculty

KW - Gender

KW - Mixed methods

KW - Networks

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84979017441&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/scipol/scv052

DO - 10.1093/scipol/scv052

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84979017441

VL - 43

SP - 386

EP - 399

JO - Science and Public Policy

JF - Science and Public Policy

SN - 0302-3427

IS - 3

ER -

ID: 235586320