Employer's growing dependence on women and the changing demographics of the labor force have pushed gender issues to the forefront of workplace reforms. This project asks about the conditions that prompt some corporations to institute policies and programs to help women meet their family obligations and succeed at their jobs. The research design includes a survey of 1,000 major corporations regarding policies and programs for women and an on-site case study of one corporation with a reputation for supporting women. The survey of corporations asks about global predictors of responsiveness to women, and the case study inquires about the dynamics of gender relations relative to corporate structures, culture, and practices. Guided by new structuralism/devaluation theory and theories of gender (that focus on the institutional and processual aspects of gender), the investigator asks: (1) what kinds of corporations are helping women? (2) what strategies are they using? (3) how effective are these strategies and for whom? The identification of conditions and practices that help women meet their job and family obligations gives practical and policy-relevant import to this research. The project furthers VPW program objectives to provide opportunities for women to advance their careers in science or engineering through research, and to encourage other women to pursue careers in these areas through the investigator's enhanced visibility as a role model on the host campus. The proposed activities which contribute to the second objective include: bringing women scientists to campus to discuss their research on sex/gender and science, and on gender, work and family; teaching; mentoring, and counseling.
