Abstract
The purpose of this survey study was to examine the influence of racial/ethnic and gender identity on the relationship between high-performance computing (HPC) occupational climate and cyberinfrastructure (CI) professionals' career withdrawal cognitions. The aim was to contribute to the body of knowledge about what elements of occupational climate should be addressed in order to have a positive impact on the retention and promotion of individuals from underrepresented groups in HPC. It used a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional survey design to conduct quantitative analyses of the relationships between occupational climate factors, race and gender, and career withdrawal cognitions. Survey analyses found that gender directly influenced withdrawal cognitions such that men are less likely to leave HPC than people from underrepresented genders, several occupational climate factors directly impact CI professionals’ withdrawal cognitions, and the relationship of factors Perspective Taking and What Companies Do to withdrawal cognitions was moderated by race. None of the occupational climate factors were moderated by gender. The study highlights the need for leadership in HPC to focus on their employees’ needs to create a more equitable and inclusive environment that will allow for improved retention of all CI professionals.
Keywords: High-performance computing, occupational climate, withdrawal cognitions, retention