Degree

Master of Science in Management

Faculty / School

School of Business Studies (SBS)

Department

Department of Management

Date of Submission

Spring 2023-5

Supervisor

Dr. Muhammad Ayaz, Assistant Professor, Chairperson - Department of Management, School of Business Studies (SBS)

Committee Member 1

Dr. Ashar Saleem, Assistant Professor and Program Director MS Management, Department of Management, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Committee Member 2

Dr. Amer Awan, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Project Type

MS Management Research Project

Access Type

Restricted Access

Abstract

How do the women of Pakistan, hindered by biases and stereotypes, work in the male-dominated information technology sector? Only 16% of IT workers in Pakistan are female. The minority of females in this sector gives rise to several barriers that arise from gender which affect women’s experience with technology work. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 skilled females within the tech field, it is noted how women face these barriers within the technology industry and make space for themselves in this profession. The findings show several micro-individual strategies women use to assert their presence in technical occupations - Pakistani women in technology firms use internal organizational tools and external resources and brought a change in their behaviors to perform in technical roles while conforming to their femininity. Such strategies allow women to continue careers within IT, even in the presence of gender norms which exclude them from the workplace. Even with these defined strategies, this study shows that ultimately women conform to the patriarchal society, in the unique socio-cultural context of Pakistan. Documenting such findings can enhance insight into the deep-seated gender-related issues within the Pakistani IT industry and can help improve efforts to keep women in IT careers.

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