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If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You the Boss? Explaining the Persistent Vertical Gender Gap in Management

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  • Heather A. Haveman
  • Lauren S. Beresford

Abstract

Since 1970, women have made substantial inroads into management jobs. But most women are in lower- and middle-management jobs; few are in top-management jobs. Human capital theory uses three individual-level variables to explain this vertical gender gap: women acquire fewer of the necessary educational credentials than men, women prefer different kinds of jobs than men, and women accumulate less of the required work experience than men. The authors argue that cultural schemas, specifically gender roles and gender norms, explain most individual-level differences between men and women and that when cultural factors are ignored, any observed effects of these factors can be dismissed as spurious. This analysis is based on data on nationally representative samples and the results of published research.

Suggested Citation

  • Heather A. Haveman & Lauren S. Beresford, 2012. "If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You the Boss? Explaining the Persistent Vertical Gender Gap in Management," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 639(1), pages 114-130, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:639:y:2012:i:1:p:114-130
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716211418443
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Vanessa Di Paola & Arnaud Dupray & Stéphanie Moullet, 2022. "Does occupational gender composition affect women's chances of becoming managers? Evidence from France, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK," Post-Print hal-03730321, HAL.
    3. Jorge Chica‐Olmo & Marina Checa‐Olivas, 2021. "Spatial impact of factors influencing the achievement of the Europa2020 employment targets," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(3), pages 633-649, June.

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    gender gap; management; culture;
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