Creating a Sustainable IS Career Ecosystem: Examining the Cross-section of the Diversity Management Approach and the Social Cognitive Career Theory

To increase the opportunities for diverse students in STEM, universities have augmented their recruitment processes with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. However, critics argue that universities must do more than implement tokenized programs by creating inclusive campus communities that support underrepresented students throughout their academic journey. A sustainable DEI approach beyond mere representation is needed to address these criticisms. We developed a framework adapted from the Diversity Management (DM) Approach and the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to improve DEI sustainability. In this research in progress, we perform content analysis using an a priori coding technique to evaluate the use of DM approaches and the cultural, cognitive, and contextual influences of the SCCT. The dataset includes 16 variables from 30 US universities committed to ethnic awareness and anti-racism efforts. The results suggest that more than half of the universities have DEI initiatives that "check the box," and 60% have programs in which non-dominant groups assimilate the dominant culture. Approximately 80% of schools with IS programs had contextual influences like career choice in their accessible recruiting material. Less than a quarter had cultural or cognitive influences like background affordances, learning experiences, and self-efficacy or outcome expectations in their program messaging. Universities can utilize the proposed framework in drafting a plan to attract and retain diverse students by implementing instrumental values, improving acculturation strategies, and developing department and program messaging that includes cultural, cognitive, and contextual influences. In future research, we will develop and validate a survey instrument to assess the model's effectiveness.