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ICSE 2023
Sun 14 - Sat 20 May 2023 Melbourne, Australia
Thu 18 May 2023 12:15 - 12:30 at Meeting Room 101 - Studies on gender in SE Chair(s): Ita Richardson

Background. The mass transition to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected software professionals, who abruptly shifted into ostensibly temporary home offices. The effects of this transition on these professionals are complex, depending on the particularities of the context and individuals. Recent studies advocate for remote structures to create opportunities for many equity-deserving groups; however, remote work can also be challenging for some individuals, such as women and individuals with disabilities. As the discussions on equity, diversity, and inclusion increase in software engineering, it is essential to explore the realities and perspectives of different equity-deserving groups to develop strategies that can support them post-pandemic. Objective. This study aims to investigate the effects of remote work on LGBTQIA+ software professionals. Method. A grounded theory approach was applied based on information collected from two primary sources: a survey questionnaire with a sample of 57 LGBTQIA+ software professionals and nine follow-up interviews with individuals from this sample. This sample included professionals of different genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and experience levels. Consistent with grounded theory methodology, the process of data collection and analysis was conducted iteratively using three stages of coding: line-by-line focused, and theoretical. Member checking was used to validate the findings obtained from interpreting the experiences commented on by LGBTQIA+ software professionals. Findings. Our findings demonstrate that (1) remote work benefits LGBTQIA+ people by increasing security and visibility; (2) remote work harms LGBTQIA+ software professionals through isolation and invisibility; (3) the benefits outweigh the drawbacks; (4) the drawbacks can be mitigated by supportive measures developed by software companies. Conclusion. This paper investigated how remote work can affect LGBTQIA+ software professionals and presented a set of recommendations on how software companies can address the benefits and limitations associated with this work model. In summary, we concluded that remote work has a crucial role in increasing diversity and inclusion in the software industry.

Thu 18 May

Displayed time zone: Hobart change

11:00 - 12:30
Studies on gender in SESEIS - Software Engineering in Society / Technical Track / SEET - Software Engineering Education and Training at Meeting Room 101
Chair(s): Ita Richardson Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre and University of Limerick
11:00
15m
Talk
“STILL AROUND”: Experiences and Survival Strategies of Veteran Women Software DevelopersDistinguished Paper Award
Technical Track
Sterre van Breukelen Eindhoven University of Technology, Ann Barcomb Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Sebastian Baltes SAP SE & University of Adelaide, Alexander Serebrenik Eindhoven University of Technology
Pre-print
11:15
15m
Talk
The ABC of Pair Programming: Gender-dependent Attitude, Behavior and Code of Young Learners
SEET - Software Engineering Education and Training
Isabella Graßl University of Passau, Gordon Fraser University of Passau
Pre-print
11:30
15m
Talk
Engaging Girls in Computer Science: Do Single-Gender Interdisciplinary Classes Help?
SEET - Software Engineering Education and Training
Kai Marquardt Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Lucia Happe Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Ingo Wagner Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Pre-print
11:45
15m
Paper
Fundamentalists, Integrationists, & Transformationists: An Empirical Theory of Men Software Engineers' Orientations in Gender Inequalities
SEIS - Software Engineering in Society
Yi Wang Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Xinyue Zhang Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Wei Wang Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
12:00
15m
Paper
Draw a Software Engineer Test - An Investigation into Children's Perception of Software Engineering Profession
SEIS - Software Engineering in Society
Claudia Maria Cutrupi Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Irene Zanardi USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Letizia Jaccheri Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Monica Landoni USI Università della Svizzera italiana
12:15
15m
Full-paper
Benefits and Limitations of Remote Work to LGBTQIA+ Software Professionals
SEIS - Software Engineering in Society
Ronnie de Souza Santos Cape Breton University, Cleyton V. C. de Magalhaes CESAR School, Paul Ralph Dalhousie University
Pre-print