Home > Media Coverage > UWO Media Newsroom, December 10, 2002

$3 Million Awarded to Prof to Study Aging and Information Technology in the Workplace

A researcher at The University of Western Ontario has received $3 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the largest grant ever from the federal agency. The news was announced this morning in Toronto.

Julie McMullin, a professor in Western’s Department of Sociology, will be using the grant from SSHRC’s Initiative on the New Economy Program to lead a study called "Workforce Aging in the New Economy." The study will look at employment growth in the information technology (IT) sector, aging in the workforce, and employment changes in the new economy.

Specifically, the research team will be examining:

Discrimination based on age, gender, race and ethnicity in the IT workforce

Relationships between employers and employees in IT firms – are they good places to work?

Specific skill sets required for IT work

The portion of the older workers, women, and ethnic and racial minority groups currently employed in the IT sector

How IT employers deal with major events in employees’ lives, such as the school-to-work transition, marriage and parenting

"The IT industry is known for workplaces made up of mostly young, white males. Many of these workplaces have pool tables, bars, and a casual, ‘fun’ atmosphere. But, they also experience rapid turnover," says McMullin. "Our study will be examining this unique and growing sector to help shape human resource policy not only for the IT industry, but for the workforce as a whole."

The collaborative cross-national study involves researchers at eight universities, along with various labour groups, technology organizations, government agencies and IT companies in Canada, the United States, Australia and the European Union. Sixteen case studies will be conducted involving employee surveys and interviews with IT managers and company owners.

"The unprecedented level of funding from SSHRC for this single project represents a milestone at our University, and we are extremely proud of Julie and her team," says Ted Hewitt, Western’s Associate Vice-President (Research). "For the past several years, Western's success rate in the SSHRC competition has consistently exceeded the national average. With this recent outstanding accomplishment, Western researchers have clearly solidified their position as national leaders in social sciences and humanities research."
Co-investigators from Western are Tracey Adams, Ingrid Connidis and Ed Grabb, all in the Department of Sociology.

"By updating our learning and working practices, we will help Canadians seize opportunities around the globe," says SSHRC President Marc Renaud. "These advances in education and training will not only pay great dividends for Canadian companies, but also for workers, who will be better prepared to face constantly changing realities at work and at home."

McMullin’s project competed against 63 others in this competition with only nine receiving funds. As an undergraduate at Western, McMullin played on the varsity curling team; she likens obtaining the SSHRC grant to winning a big tournament. "I remember the exact moment when I received the news – I was jumping around and yelling out to my colleagues in the hallway!" she says.

SSHRC (www.sshrc.ca) is Canada's federal funding agency for university-based research and graduate training in the social sciences and humanities. Created as an independent body by Parliament in 1977, it reports to Parliament through the Minister of Industry. As a key national research funding agency, SSHRC helps to continually build the human knowledge and skills Canada needs to improve the quality of its social, economic and cultural life.

Original Citation Information:

The University of Western Ontario. (2002). $3 Million Awarded to Prof to Study Aging and Information Technology in the Workplace. Retrieved December 11, 2002, from The University of Western Ontario, Media Newsroom web site.