Critical Mass, Competition or Legitimacy?: Analysing the Development of the Proportion of Female Professors at German Higher Education Institutions Between 1992 and 2014 Kritische Masse, Wettbewerb oder Legitimität?: Analysen der Entwicklung des Professorinnenanteils an deutschen Hochschulen von 1992 bis 2014
Hüther O, Kirchner S (2018)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2018
Journal
Book Volume: 70
Pages Range: 565-591
Journal Issue: 4
DOI: 10.1007/s11577-018-0573-3
Abstract
Despite a steadily rising proportion of female professors, women remain a minority in these scientific positions. Although equal opportunity efforts often explicitly target the organizational level, current research does not focus on the relation between higher education institutions and the proportion of female professors. Drawing on critical mass theory, competition theory and sociological neo-institutionalisms a substantial relation between higher education institutions as organizations and the development of the proportion of female professors can be expected. All three theoretical approaches assume a relationship between the realised quota of female professors and the subsequent growth in the proportion of female professors. This article investigates these theoretical assumptions using specifically compiled panel data from the German Federal Statistical Office for the period between 1992 and 2014. The analysis shows, that higher education institutions with a lower proportion of female professors report increased growth in subsequent periods, whereas those with a higher proportion of female professors report a decreased growth in subsequent periods. These results clearly conflict with the assumptions made by critical mass theory and comply more with assumptions following competition theory and sociological neo-institutionalism. Our findings underscore the relevance of the organizational level for an integrated investigation of various factors that shape the development of the proportion of female professors.
Involved external institutions
Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Hüther, O., & Kirchner, S. (2018). Critical Mass, Competition or Legitimacy?: Analysing the Development of the Proportion of Female Professors at German Higher Education Institutions Between 1992 and 2014 Kritische Masse, Wettbewerb oder Legitimität?: Analysen der Entwicklung des Professorinnenanteils an deutschen Hochschulen von 1992 bis 2014. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 70(4), 565-591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-018-0573-3
MLA:
Hüther, Otto, and Stefan Kirchner. "Critical Mass, Competition or Legitimacy?: Analysing the Development of the Proportion of Female Professors at German Higher Education Institutions Between 1992 and 2014 Kritische Masse, Wettbewerb oder Legitimität?: Analysen der Entwicklung des Professorinnenanteils an deutschen Hochschulen von 1992 bis 2014." Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 70.4 (2018): 565-591.
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