September/October 2022 - 119

Acknowledgement Bias
W I D F S E R I E S
In the first of a multi-series column, the Women in Deep Foundations (WiDF) committee looks at how a failure to provide professional credit
affects companies and careers.
Have you ever had the feeling that you're not appreciated or
recognized for your work? Perhaps your boss presented work
that you completed as if it was their own, or a colleague
received accolades for a job on which you did most of the
work? It is not uncommon in the science, engineering and
many other fields for professional credit to be denied from
proper attribution. The effects of these events often yield
negative future impacts for individuals, companies and the
industry as a whole.
Attribution of credit can take many forms. In this series it
refers to acknowledgement for professional contributions
such as writing reports, facilitating safety plans, developing
client relationships and countless other examples.
Professional contributions also occur outside of the standard
day-to-day operations such as participation in publications,
conferences and committees.
Despite all the ways individuals are making professional
contributions, they are often taken for granted. Yet, a job welldone
serves to enhance a company's profitability.
Acknowledgement bias, often at the core of this issue, refers
to any power dynamic (i.e., ethnicity, age, gender, career)
wherein credit is automatically attributed to certain
individuals while other contributors are not considered. This
is particularly problematic early in one's career when it can
stifle access to future opportunities.
Real-World Examples of Credit Bias from the
DFI Community
Several members of the DFI community volunteered to share
their personal accounts of related experiences and how it
impacted them. Names and project specifics have been
omitted for anonymity.
Experience 1: Client Report Authorship
For a number of years, I worked for a company where I wrote
the majority of the reports for a specific, high-value client.
During that time, I was never permitted to put my name on
any of the reports or work I generated. The credit always went
to my male supervisors, who had only reviewed the report.
Short-Term Impact: In addition to not being permitted to
put my name on reports, I was never permitted to sit in on
conference calls, meetings, reviews or any other
correspondence with the client. As a result, important
information from the client was often not relayed to me
effectively, making my work considerably more difficult.
This led to the quality of my work being questioned because
client comments were not addressed.
Long-Term Impact: After moving on from that company, I
still feel uncomfortable and have a hard time feeling worthy of
putting my name on work that I've completed. I second guess
whether or not I have all the information. Because of my previous
experiences, I find it more difficult than my peers to take
credit for and feel confident in the work that I have completed.
Experience 2: Field Work Experience
I remember the hard work and effort needed to be in the field
working with contractors, drillers, designers and clients.
Being petite, less experienced, young and a woman posed
unique challenges. The project manager was rarely on site to
witness my progress and no one in the office was aware of my
achievements. I also found out that my success on site was
awarded to the project manager.
Short-Term Impact: Being out of the office affected my
growth within the company, my bi-annual feedback and
compensation. My peers did not hear about my challenges,
project milestones, my role in optimizing the project nor the
strong relationship that I achieved with the client.
Long-Term Impact: I noticed I was in exactly the same
place in the company after so many years of hard field work.
When I left the company it lost a " high performer " and
someone who was very much appreciated by their clients as
the " most resourceful engineer. "
Experience 3: Publication Authorship
As a junior engineer, I presented a conference paper that was
later picked up in a magazine. When I picked up the article, I
was thrilled to see excerpts I wrote and images I created.
However, my name and photo were missing. The editors only
listed my senior co-authors who had done work previously on
the subject.
Short-Term Impact: The situation made me question
myself, " Had I really written it? " The advice I was given was to
ignore the issue because I was on the original publication and
a redaction in a magazine would have limited impact.
Long-Term Impact: Later in my career the lack of
authorship affected my recognition in the industry. I lost out
on contact with others, those who were not at the conference,
as they did not know about my contribution or my interest in
the subject.
Failure to Give Proper Credit:
Implications for Individuals and the Industry
As articulated by these examples, failure to provide
professional credit and acknowledgement results in
DEEP FOUNDATIONS * SEPT/OCT 2022 * 119

September/October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2022