The bar graph illustrates the rate of men’s involvement in senior development positions across three different companies from 1980 to 2010. Overall, it is evident that 2010 saw the highest participation rate among the three companies in these senior positions.
Initially, IBM started with a low participation rate of 3 percent in 1980 and maintained this rate until 1985. Over the next decade and a half, the rate increased significantly; by 1995, it had risen to 25 percent, then to 32 percent by 2000, and finally reached 62 percent by the end of 2010.
In contrast, the participation rates of Microsoft and Apple in senior development positions fluctuated below 25 percent over two decades. In 1980, Microsoft and Apple had participation percentages of 8 percent and 15 percent, respectively. However, in the following ten years, both companies saw their rates remain below 14 percent. This period marked a decline for Apple, while Microsoft experienced a slight increase of 2 to 3 percent.
Over the next 15 years, Apple managed to reach 25 percent, which was still the lowest rate compared to the other companies. Microsoft saw minor growth in the year 2000, but it surged dramatically by 2010 to reach 45 percent, which was nine times higher than its initial participation rate.