ESTABLISHING INTEGRITY TO ELIMINATE WOMEN DISCRIMINATION IN SCIENCE: IMPLICATIONS FROM EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN LITHUANIA

Abstract

The paper presents some findings of the European Commission-funded project “Women in Sciences and High Technology”. The authors aim to identify organizational obstacles for women advancement in academia in Lithuania and discuss measures which could help to realize anti-discriminatory policies. The data were gathered by 30 in-depth interviews in 12 Lithuanian academic institutions. The research findings indicate that discrimination is prohibited de jure, yet exists de facto. We contend that organizational obstacles for women advancement to leading positions could be eliminated once their human resource management practices are based on ethical principles such as justice, transparency and universalizability. They support the system of meritocracy and promote integrity. Moreover, to ensure effectiveness of anti-discriminatory measures, particular policies such as affirmative action, diversity management should not be mechanically copied from other (Western) societies and their organizations but adapted to a definite socio-cultural context.