Gender Roles and Career Paths: A Study of Ambitions and Work Preferences in Computer Science Undergraduates

Abstract

According to Abele’s (2002) model, gender roles shape goals and expectations, which can also be influenced by environmental factors such as work conditions. Based on this framework, the present study examined gender-specific career ambitions among 197 computer science undergraduates (36.5% women) at a German university (2014/2015). The survey assessed gender role attitudes, career plans, preferences for part-time work, and leadership aspirations. Results showed that women endorsed significantly more egalitarian gender roles than men. Women were more likely to express a preference for part-time work, regardless of their gender role attitudes. Leadership aspirations displayed a nuanced pattern: more women than men rated leadership as moderately important, whereas men with traditional gender role attitudes were more represented among those rating leadership as very important. Differences between egalitarian and traditional attitudes within gender groups were generally not significant. These findings suggest that gender role attitudes are associated with career preferences in the male-dominated STEM context. Supporting flexible career pathways remains important to allow students to pursue careers aligned with their individual goals.