Opening the Door for IT Leadership Opportunities: New Voices from the Field

Autor/in	Drury, Marilyn
Titel	Opening the Door for IT Leadership Opportunities: New Voices from the Field
Quelle	In: EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 32 (2009) 3, (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1528-5324
Schlagwörter	Higher Education; Women Administrators; Womens Education; Womens Studies; Interviews; Administrator Attitudes; Employment Opportunities; Change Strategies; Leadership Training; Training Methods; Performance Factors; Career Guidance; Information Technology; Program Administration + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Weibliche Führungskraft; 'Women''s education'; Frauenbildung; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Berufschance; Beschäftigungschance; Lösungsstrategie; Führungslehre; Didaktik; Trainingsmaßnahme; Leistungsindikator; Berufsorientierung; Informationstechnologie
Abstract	The growth and increasing criticality of the CIO role in higher education suggests the importance of recognizing and understanding the characteristics of successful CIOs and the environments supporting their success, with the goal of developing new leaders. Although the literature, in general, provides a rich knowledge base concerning IT leadership in higher education, most of those publications present information gathered primarily from male leaders. Understanding women CIOs' experiences in higher education is equally crucial for anyone aspiring to a technology leadership position on campus. That knowledge can also guide institutions in developing and retaining potential IT leaders from a wider, more diverse pool of candidates than in the past. This article covers both individual and institutional approaches to IT leadership. Personal experiences and situational factors presented in this article suggest opportunities for those pursuing higher education IT leadership roles. Because of historical and current institutional practices and beliefs about the ideal characteristics of leaders, women especially need to build excellent leadership skills as well as recognize and take advantage of experiences leading to leadership opportunities. Institutions, for their part, need to provide such experiences and recognize and support individuals who aspire to IT leadership positions. While some literature addresses strategies related to encouraging and supporting young girls' and boys' interests in technology, a research gap still exists in identifying experiences and factors leading to opportunities for women pursuing CIO positions on campus. Fostering a qualified pool of potential leaders for higher education requires attending to this research gap. The author's work not only investigates and identifies opportunities for women CIOs in higher education but also the obstacles encountered and methods used to overcome them and to facilitate opportunities as women CIOs pursued their positions. She has also investigated institutional gendered norms and occupational jurisdiction--the legitimacy, power, and access to certain technologies due to one's position--within higher education IT organizations. This article discusses the many lessons learned from the information provided by women CIOs in higher education regarding the opportunities that assisted them in building leadership skills and attaining IT leadership positions. Recommendations are made for individuals seeking IT leadership positions. (Contains 1 figure and 17 endnotes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	EDUCAUSE. 4772 Walnut Street Suite 206, Boulder, CO 80301-2538. Tel: 303-449-4430; Fax: 303-440-0461; e-mail: info@educause.edu; Web site: http://www.educause.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10