2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

Report of a Survey of Early Career Latinx Engineers: Trends across 3 Years in Perceptions of the Workplace, Social Cognitions, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions

Presented at Track 4: Technical Session 1: Report of a Survey of Early Career Latinx Engineers: Trends across 3 Years in Perceptions of the Workplace, Social Cognitions, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions

Latinx are one of the youngest and fastest growing groups in the U.S., estimated to comprise 19% of the population in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2023). They also represent a growing segment of the U.S. labor force, where almost 1 in 5 workers are Latinx. However, Latinx are underrepresented among STEM college degree recipients (17%) and workers (8%; NSF, 2023), and Latinx in STEM occupations had one of the highest rates of unemployment (5.7%) in 2021 among all racial and ethnic groups (NSF, 2023). Within engineering, Latinx comprise 9% of all college-educated engineers in the workforce. More research is needed to understand the work experiences of Latinx engineers in the early career stages, as this is a critical period when individuals make decisions to leave the field (i.e., Fouad & Singh, 2012). In this presentation, we report data that were collected from in 2022 from early career self-identified Latinx engineers (n = 408), who were then surveyed again in 2023 (n = 250) and 2024 (n = 137 data collection is ongoing) via an online platform. In this presentation, we will report the trends in scores across time on measures of the work environment (i.e., perceived support from organization, supervisors, coworkers, and family; perceived organizational climate; workplace incivility; workplace microaggressions; workplace bullying; discrimination experiences; work-family conflict), social cognitions (i.e., self-efficacy, outcome expectations), and work outcomes (i.e., work satisfaction, turnover intentions). The findings may point to factors that can facilitate or impede the job satisfaction and retention of Latinx engineers. Implications of the findings for enhancing the work experiences of Latinx engineers and developing policies to create positive work environments for culturally diverse engineers will be discussed.

Authors

Dr. Lisa Y Flores University of Missouri - Columbia [biography]

Lisa Y. Flores, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri. She has expertise in the career development of Latinx and Latinx immigrant issues and has over 100 peer reviewed journal publications, 19 book chapters, and 3 co-edited books.
Dr. Rachel L Navarro University of North Dakota [biography]

Rachel L. Navarro, Ph.D. is Professor of Counseling Psychology and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development for the College of Education and Human Development at the University of North Dakota (UND). She is the former department chair for UNDâ€
Jinkoo Lee University of Missouri - Columbia
Dr. Bo Hyun Lee The Ohio State University [biography]

Dr. Lee's research broadly focuses on equity, justice, and access both at work and in pursuit of work. Dr. Lee takes an intersectional approach to understanding the influence of oppression and marginalization on academic achievement and career development among members from oppressed groups. With her focus on cultural and contextual influence on individuals’ career development, Dr. Lee addresses inequities in STEM by investigating a variety of cultural and contextual factors while striving to name and the structural inequity within the system, including higher education, that could guide the culturally and contextually sustaining intervention and support for the oppressed groups.
Han Na Suh Georgia State University - Perimeter College
Dr. Sarah Lynn Orton P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7896-039X University of Missouri - Columbia [biography]

Dr. Orton is an associate professor in Civil Engineering and is an active member of the American Concrete Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Orton also serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Civil and Environmental
Dr. Pat Garriott [biography]

Dr. Garriott received his PhD from the University of Missouri. He is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) of the APA, and the Society for Vocational Psychology. His work has been recognized by Divi

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on February 9, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on February 11, 2025

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