Assessing diversity (mis)management in videogames studios
School of Management Research & Development Fellow Mindy Grewar and Professor Shiona Chillas are analysing results from an international survey of videogames worker experiences related to diversity management activity (or lack of it) in their studios. Mindy and Shiona, who is Director of the School’s Institute for Capitalising on Creativity, are collaborating with Abertay University researchers and advocacy body Women in Games, who issued the questionnaire, as part of InGAME, the AHRC-grant funded research and development programme based in Dundee’s videogames industry cluster.
Globally, while videogames and interactive media have grown to become the most economically valuable of the creative industries, the sector is trying to improve its reputation for having predominantly white and male workforces, much role segregation (ie, most female employees work in ‘soft’ roles such as HR and design rather than tech or senior management), and, as revealed through public media attention such as Gamergate and #metoo, misogynistic workplace culture.
Mindy and Shiona will be publishing their analysis of studio efforts toward EDI soon, while Women in Games has recently released a guide for employers, ‘Building a Fair Playing Field’ available for download .