Factsheet 1
Athena SWAN
Charter for Women in Science
Best Practice
Organisational Culture
What is organisational culture?
“A pattern of shared basic assumptions
that the group learned as it solved
problems … that has worked well enough
to be considered valid and, therefore, to be
taught to new members as the correct way
to perceive, think, and feel in relation to
those problems”
(Schein, 1992, Organizational Culture and
Leadership, Jossey-Bass)
Which aspects of organisational culture are
relevant to advancing women in SET?
• Department openness and inclusivity – how are
part-timers and those on maternity leave, career
breaks or sabbaticals included in the ongoing
life of the department? How do departmental
processes, procedures and practices impact on
staff with caring responsibilities or part-time
workers? Are senior staff accessible to more
junior staff? Are social activities inclusive?
There are three layers of culture:
• Artifacts: visible structure and practices, such
as policies and procedures, which can be
monitored and changed if necessary.
• Espoused values: what people say they
believe – these are not generally a problem,
for example, most people believe that
appointments and promotion should be fair
and based on merit.
• Departmental roles and responsibilities – are
committees reviewed for gender balance? How
often is membership reviewed and renewed?
How is overload avoided on small numbers of
women available? How are committee decisions,
including on budget allocation, communicated
more widely? Is participation on committees
and panels recognised as part of the appraisal
process and as a contributory factor towards
promotion?
• Visibility of women – are women at all levels
• Underlying assumptions: unconscious, takenencouraged to raise their profile externally, e.g. at
for-granted beliefs, thoughts, and feelings
conferences, and professional society activities,
– ultimate source of values and actions – these
are much harder to change, though their effects and internally by contributing to departmental
seminars and presenting to research sponsors?
can be mitigated.
it solved problems …
d as
that
problems” “A p earne
has
e
s
o
h
wo
palttern
to t
u
rk e
n
o
perceive, thin
r
of
o
i
dw
g
t
way to
sh
k, a
a
e
l
h
e
a
ell
rrect
nd
t
r
o
b
e
o
r
t
c
c
h
o
e
t
g
n
e
u
n
e
s
db
fee
h
a
ide
no
no
li
th
reders as t
asi
ell e
l in
u
w
s
ee
g
f
d
c
n
e
b
v
ht
o
a
k
i
r
d
a
m
s
t
o
e
lid
su
n
p
o
w
m
a
s
m
,
m
be
a
a
w
u
k
h
n
e
s
p
t
n
s
d, t
in
co
tio
tha
t to
ic a
he
nsi
, th
ns
ref
deres …
ugh
bas
ive
tha
ore
md valid a
be ta
ed
r
rce
o
e
t
l
,
a
e
r
e
ers
o
n
f
b
d, there
, to
t th
h
p
s
o
r
f
p
emb
o
o
be t
e gro
d
n
e
r
yt
v
e
l
aught to new m
t
u
o
t
p learned as it s
a
p
A
“
”
blems
ht
ob
e, think, and fee
that the erceiv
l
e
i
n
c
ptions
o
to gprou
r
e
p
n
and, the
l
si
le
ssum
a
way
d
t
a
i
valid that t
e
o
sic a
r
ec t
a
n
r
n
e
e
s
ered
or r
db
d
t
d
c
o
e
v
a
tion
are
nsid
tho
s it
ali
mp
s th
f sh
e co
s
d
e
s
o
rs a
assu
no
a
p
to b
r
e
l
v
r
n
e
b
o
e
t
asic
d
gh
ble
d
,
t
pat
pro
here
ms”
mem
nou shared b
fore, m
ble
“A ell e
ne w
s”“A
of
ms …
ed wpattern
le to be taught to
that has work
relation to those prob
erc
eiv
e
, th
ink
, an
d
t has worked
new memb s … tha
w
e
ll e
s
leerm
no
ob as the
ug
pr
co
ed
rre
c
olv
t
wa
yt
op
• Appoint Female Faculty Ambassadors to
support fellow female academics in their
professional development and to work with
senior staff on events and activities for women
(Imperial College).
• Set out a clear pledge from Senior Management
to address the challenges facing academic
women and the action to be taken (Imperial
College).
• Valuing staff contribution – how are
achievements recognised and rewarded? Is
teaching and administration and pastoral support
to students as highly valued as research: if so,
• Senior staff should regularly remind department
how? Is women’s contribution recognised, for
members of the importance of gender issues
example, in publicity, departmental or university
(York Chemistry Department).
newsletters and websites, as that of men?
• Monitor male attendance at management
• Workload allocation – is it transparent? Is
training on gender and equality issues and
gender an issue in teaching and administrative
target males to increase attendance if necessary
workloads? How often is workload reviewed?
(Reading University).
Who takes ultimate responsibility for workloads?
• Operate an open door policy by Heads of
• Induction and training – is there a formal
Department which encourages staff to discuss
university and/or departmental induction
matters informally (York Biology Department).
programme? Is there a mentoring or buddying
programme for new staff?
• Heads of Department to host bi-monthly
informal lunches with small groups of invited
Quick Wins
staff, such as junior academics, to share
concerns and ideas (York Biology Department).
These are some of the ways in which Athena
SWAN award winners have developed a
Working Practices
gender-friendly culture in their institutions and
departments:
• Consult staff about how they prefer to receive
information, for example, via the departmental
Leadership
website or a web-based newsletter (York
Chemistry Department).
• Set up a high level committee to review and
address barriers and challenges to women
• Provide a timetabled induction programme for
academics (Imperial College).
all new members of staff which enables them
www.athenaswan.org.uk
it s
feel
in
• Invited speakers – is the gender balance
of invited speakers monitored? Are events
organisers instructed to provide a gender
balanced list of potential speakers? Is the
percentage of female seminar speakers
representative of the proportion of women
at postgraduate level?
pr
ht t
taug
be
to
re,
efo
er
, th
da
nd
da
rne
ali
lea
dv
up
ere
gro
sid
he
on
at t
ec
s th
rn h to b
ion
ofg
mpt
nou shared basic assu
pa
tte
“A
ob
ell e
that h
as worked w
that
…
s
t i on
rel
mp
atio
y to
ssu
a
n to ect wa
c
i
as
r
cor those
red b
he
f sha
prob
as t
lems” “A pattern o
lem
s
ink, and fe
eive, th
el in
perc
roup learned as it so
lve
the g
d
to meet all key departmental personnel within
their first month of employment (York Biology
Department).
• Consider a system of allocating resources in
proportion to the level of each person’s
research activity, taking into account
publications, staff and grant applications
(York Psychology Department).
• Ensure that all staff members know the
membership of key committees and that
minutes are published openly on websites
(York Chemistry and Psychology Departments)
• Make appointments to committees on a fixed
term basis to ensure that membership changes
regularly (York Chemistry Department)
• Take specific actions to encourage increased
• Ensure that administrative responsibilities,
representation of women on committees,
student supervision and marking workloads are
including by reviewing the selection processes.
transparent (York Psychology Department).
Steps might include: writing to all eligible women
staff to encourage them to apply, asking ex• Consider introducing a university-wide workload officio members whether they might nominate
model to ensure consistency between
a woman to attend in their place, drawing up a
departments (Reading University).
suitable list of women to encourage to apply for
lay positions, asking existing committee members
• Make sure that departmental meetings are
to buddy new members, monitoring committee
scheduled at times when staff with caring
membership annually (Kings College London).
responsibilities can attend (Bristol Physiology
and Pharmacology Department).
• Ensure that women are well-represented on
decision-making committees, including as
• Hold lab retreats and larger departmental
Chairs (York Psychology Department).
retreats each year so that academic staff and
PhDs can come together and discuss topics
• Be mindful of ‘committee overload’ – the
relevant to all in the department relating to
pressures that can be placed on the time of
future directions and strategic planning (Bristol
senior women as they are often invited to sit
Physiology and Pharmacology Department).
on committees and panels, not only for their
experience, but also for gender diversity. Ensure
• Make sure that there is a central social space so
that women have the necessary support to
that staff can network on an informal basis (Bristol
balance such commitments against their day jobs
Physiology and Pharmacology Department).
(Bristol Physiology and Pharmacology Department).
Committee Representation
• Include representation from undergraduate and
postgraduate students and post-doctoral fellows
• Publish gender balance of committees (Reading at staff meetings, Research and Teaching
University).
Committees (Nottingham Psychology Department).
www.athenaswan.org.uk
olved problems
… th
as it s
at h
ned
blems” “A
as w
paltetar
p ern
ork
u
o
r
o
ed
f sh
g
ay to perceive, think,
we
e
ect w
and
h
a
t
r
ll e
corr
ed
t
gh to be consid
e
u
o
fee
h
a
t
n
n
e
h
ba
ink, and fe
ere s as
ou
l in
sic
eive, th
well
r
el in
d
e
g
d
e
b
v
h
perc
rel
ass
rk
a
m
o
t
e
l
atio
i
o
y to
w
um
da
m
a
s
b
w
a
w
n to ect
h
nd
e
ec
pt
t
n
a
r
o
, th
on
ion
cor those
re
ht t
ere
side s … th
st
f sha
t he
prob
taug
r
for
ha
lems” “A pattern o
rs as
lemed valid and, therefore, to be
e, t
e
b
t th
b
o
ob
pr
e gro
mem
e taug
up learned as it solved
ht to new
red basic assu
that has worked w
ell e
ht to new memberms …
taug
le s
no
be
ob as the
ug
pr
to
h
c
or r
to
think, and fee
re,
ed
be
ec
ceive,
at t
l in
efo
olv
con
tw
tions th yhteo gpreorup
er
re
ts
ump
a
s
l
s
l
a
si
e
i
yt
, th
de
tio
t wa
ar n
ic as
op
red
da
rec
nd
nt
b as
ed
erc
cor
ot
ed
da
rne
va
as
e
h
har
the
ali
lea
i
o
l
i
v
i
t
s
d
e
of s
ep
sol
dv
s as
up
, th
an
ved
rob
ern
ere
ber
gro
ink
d,
att
lem
em
sid
t
p
he
h
,
e
r
a
refore s”“A p
obl
wm
nd
at t
con
,m
ems
to be taught to ne
feel
be
s th
… that has work
roble
in relat
ion
ion to those p
mpt
• Be proactive and encourage women to sit on
grant awarding bodies (Bristol Physiology and
Pharmacology Department).
Raising the profile of Women in SET
• Promote the achievements of women in the
departmental newsletter and in university
magazines and annual reports where
appropriate (York Chemistry Department).
• Make a conscious effort to invite female
speakers from outside the department or
university for seminars and issue guidelines
to events organisers about the importance of
ensuring a greater number of female external
lecturers and visiting professors (York Chemistry
Department).
• Hold an annual lecture on the theme of women
in SET to provide a focus at least once a year for
women in the institution to meet (Imperial
College).
• Commission a work of art to celebrate women
in science (or more widely) for display in a
prominent place (Imperial College and Queen’s
University Belfast).
• Be proactive and encourage women to join
external bodies, such as Editorial Boards of
Journals, as this provides valuable networking
opportunities and benefits long-term career
prospects (Bristol Physiology and Pharmacology
Department).
• Invite all female SET staff to join the GetSET
database run by the UK Resource Centre for
Women in SET to have their details available
for media appearances, public appointments,
training etc (Reading University).
Sources of further information
and guidance
The Athena SWAN Charter is a scheme to
recognise and share good practice on gender
equality in higher education employment.
www.athenaswan.org
The Cultural Analysis Tool is a questionnaire
developed by the UK Resource Centre for
Women in SET (UKRC) to assist employers in
understanding and benchmarking their
workplace culture with respect to gender
equality. The three questionnaires are for
management, staff and HR and are analysed
by UKRC who help the organisation develop a
tailored action plan. www.ukrc4setwomen.org
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s publication
Planning for Success: Good Practice in University
Science Departments includes lots of tips and
advice on organisational culture. www.rsc.org
The Institute of Physics Project Juno also
includes criteria for measuring organisational
culture. www.iop.org
Why So Slow: The Advancement of Women by
Virginia Valian describes many of the underlying
assumptions which disadvantage women.
A presentation on benefits of changing culture
in academic institutions is available at www.
advance.gatech.edu/2004conf/3a_trower.ppt
The SWAN Charter is funded by Equality Challenge Unit and the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.