During the last 20 years there has been a rapid, dramatic increase in the number of women scientists and managers working in public sector agricultural research in southeast Asia. In 1992, for example, in four research institutes in the Philippines more than 50 percent of the researchers holding Masters of Science (MSc) or PhD degrees were women. In Thailand, 44 percent were women. In 1991 in Sri Lanka, 28 percent were women. The increased number of women is changing the characteristics of staff at many research institutes, and these changes have implications for human resource management. Today's research managers must learn to maximize advantages and to cope with challenges arising from the new diversity in the work force.
Since 1990, gender staffing has been identified by the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) as an emerging human resource issue in some regions of the world. Therefore in 1992, with support from the Gender Program of the CGIAR, ISNAR launched a study to highlight some of the management issues arising from changes in the work force and to develop practical guidelines for research managers.
The study, carried out in conjunction with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Forestry Research and Development (PCARRD), was conducted in the Philippines, where a particularly large number of women is employed in research. The study therefore offered an excellent opportunity to examine organizational dynamics in a near 5050 situation. It was conducted through intensive interviews with 64 scientists and managers (34 women and 30 men), a data base survey, and group sessions with an additional 40 staff at the four research institutes.
In the Philippines, women now surpass men in enrollment in universities. In 1992, 60 percent of the MSc graduates in agriculture and related sciences were women. The large number of women professionals working in public sector agricultural research in the Philippines can be attributed mainly to increased educational opportunities for women and to the attractiveness for women of jobs in the government. Government jobs are also made attractive by civil service rules that assure equal opportunity, flexible work hours, and generous maternity leave.
However, women have not been as successful in developing agricultural sciencerelated careers in the private sector. The study suggests that the high numbers of women also may be due to the exodus of men from the public to the private sector. Salaries tend to be lower in government jobs, and men, who are still considered the bread winners in Filipino families, prefer to move into more lucrative opportunities in the private sector, overseas, or in other professions. "Men tend to go to private business or industry rather than stay as scientists in the university," says one female researcher.
Although women represent more than 50 percent of the professional staff at the four institutes studied, they continue to be underrepresented in senior scientific and management positions. The difference is most apparent at the higher levels: there are twice as many men in senior positions as women, even though there was no significant difference in the qualifications (degree level). In the largest degreelevel group -- staff with an MSc -- men are being promoted faster, at an average of 38.3 months compared with 63.7 months for women. This difference cannot be explained by marital status or lagging research output as measured by publications. Judging by the similarity in publications output, workfamily conflicts do not appear to limit the ability of women to invest time and effort to develop their careers.
Women scientists with families, however, experience more conflicts than men between work and home. Half of the women interviewed indicated that their career had been affected negatively by the career of their husband. This contrasts with only a third of the men who felt that their wife's career had constrained their own opportunities. A twocareer family is the norm for Filipino women in science. Typically, both the man and the woman are professionals who must juggle schedules and compromise opportunities in order to maintain their families.
Indeed, the majority of researchers and managers viewed gender diversity as contributing positively to their organization rather than creating problems or detracting from performance. Men and women were perceived as having unique professional qualities that led them to make distinct contributions. This is particularly important for agricultural research organizations.
"Men and women have different backgrounds and different outlooks," says a male research manager. "They bring different ideas and perspectives into the workplace. This is positive. Men tend to think only of the needs and roles of men and overlook women as clients. As a research organization we cannot afford to do this."
(ISNAR newsfeature)