Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Challenging male dominance through the substantive representation of women: The case of an online women’s mentoring platform

Durbin, Susan; Lopes, Ana; Warren, Stella

Challenging male dominance through the substantive representation of women: The case of an online women’s mentoring platform Thumbnail


Authors

Susan Durbin Sue.Durbin@uwe.ac.uk
Professor in Human Resource Management

Ana Lopes



Abstract

This article analyses the design of an online mentoring platform—for women by women—in a high-technology, male-dominated UK industry: aviation and aerospace. Based on interviews with professionals and managers, we analyse the journey of the women involved and contribute to the understanding of the role of women (individually and collectively) in challenging gendered norms in a male-dominated industry through the theoretical lenses of ‘critical actors’ and ‘critical mass’. We combine these concepts, usually seen as mutually exclusive, to explain the success of the online platform. We show how a small number of self-selected critical actors represented, listened and responded to the needs of the women in their industry, thus achieving the substantive representation of women. We also argue that while critical actors were key to its inception, the mentoring platform now needs a critical mass of women to ensure its success.

Citation

Durbin, S., Lopes, A., & Warren, S. (2020). Challenging male dominance through the substantive representation of women: The case of an online women’s mentoring platform. New Technology, Work and Employment, 35(2), 215-231. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12166

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 13, 2020
Online Publication Date Jun 25, 2020
Publication Date Jul 31, 2020
Deposit Date May 29, 2020
Publicly Available Date Aug 20, 2020
Journal New Technology, Work and Employment
Print ISSN 0268-1072
Electronic ISSN 1468-005X
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 35
Issue 2
Pages 215-231
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12166
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/6001070
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12166

Files






You might also like



Downloadable Citations