An Exploration of Anchoring Female Millennial Students to an IS/IT Career Path: The CLASS Model

There has been much research conducted on the under-representation of women in Science, Technology, and Engineering & Math (STEM). Looking specifically at the area of Information Systems and Information Technology (IS/IT), women are largely under-represented in degree programs and the workforce. With the growth in the IS/IT workforce and the future demands of IS/IT career growth, the importance of understanding the perceptions and influences on the female IS/IT students grows. While there is research investigating the demographics of the IS/IT workforce, the relationship between female students and millennial influences has not been investigated. This research contends that addressing the demographic influences on the large generation entering the workforce will provide advantages to research and practice. Following an analysis of qualitative data, collected in a Midwestern university using surveys, this research explains the perceptions of female millennial students interacting with the IS/IT educational experience and career pursuits. The CLASS (Competencies, Life System, Accomplishments, Service & Security) model which illustrates how female students motivations affect the pursuit of an IS/IT education and career is introduced and discussed. Contributions to research and practice are presented.