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« Back to Results

Gender Differences and Economic Outcomes

Paper Session

Friday, Jan. 4, 2019 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Hilton Atlanta, 223
Hosted By: Economic Science Association
  • Chair: Eva Ranehill, University of Gothenburg

A Man´s World? – The Impact of a Male Dominated Environment on Female Leadership

Andreas Born
,
Stockholm School of Economics
Eva Ranehill
,
University of Gothenburg
Anna Sandberg
,
Stockholm University

Abstract

Despite increased female educational attainment, labor markets remain vertically and horizontally segregated. In this laboratory experiment, we explore whether male dominated environments, in and of themselves, adversely affect women. We find that women randomly assigned to male majority teams are more reluctant to become team leaders than women assigned to female majority teams. Analyses of potential mechanisms show that women in male majority teams are less confident, less influential, more swayed by team discussions, and (accurately) believe that they will receive less support from team members. Thus, the absence of women in male dominated contexts may be a self-reinforcing process.

Knowing When to Ask: The Cost of Leaning In

Christine Exley
,
Harvard Business School
Muriel Niederle
,
Stanford University
Lise Vesterlund
,
University of Pittsburgh

Abstract

Women’s reluctance to negotiate is often used to explain the gender wage gap, popularizing the push for women to “lean-in” and negotiate more. Examining an environment where women achieve positive profits when they choose to negotiate, we find that increased negotiations are not helpful. Women know when to ask: they enter negotiations resulting in positive profits and avoid negotiations resulting in negative profits. While the findings are similar for men, we find no evidence that men are more adept than women at knowing when to ask. Thus, our results do not justify a greater push for women to negotiate.

The Gender Leadership Gap: Does Aversion to Negative Judgment Matter?

Priyanka Chakraborty
,
Southern Methodist University
Danila Serra
,
Southern Methodist University

Abstract

Upper-level managerial positions involve the necessity of making controversial employment choices that may lead to backlash from employees. Do gender differences in aversion to negative judgment contribute to the gender leadership gap? We address this question through a novel laboratory experiment that simulates corporate decision-making. We find that: 1) women are significantly less likely to self-select into a managerial position when facing the possibility of receiving negative messages from employees, 2) there are no gender differences in manager performance, 3) male and female managers have different leadership styles, and 4) female managers receive significantly more angry messages from male workers.

Are Women Less Effective Leaders than Men? Evidence from Experiments Using Coordination Games

Lea Heursen
,
Humboldt University Berlin
Eva Ranehill
,
University of Gothenburg
Roberto Weber
,
University of Zurich

Abstract

Despite advances in many domains, women remain underrepresented in leadership. We study whether differential effectiveness of male and female leaders provides a basis for this gap. We confirm, using an implicit association test, that leadership is more strongly associated with men than women. We compare the effectiveness of male and female leaders for obtaining requested equilibria in coordination games, where beliefs about leaders’ effectiveness can be self-confirming. Our experiments use different types of coordination games and vary whether followers observe leaders’ gender. We find that differential effectiveness of male and female leaders depends on aspects of the underlying coordination game.
Discussant(s)
Dorothea Kübler
,
WZB Berlin Social Science Center
Ragan Petrie
,
Texas A&M University
Catherine Eckel
,
Texas A&M University
Christina Rott
,
University of Amsterdam
JEL Classifications
  • J1 - Demographic Economics