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Self-esteem achievement through work and socio-demographic disparities in the labor market

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  • Olivier Baguelin

    (EUREQUA - Equipe Universitaire de Recherche en Economie Quantitative - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

We develop a model in which agents choose whether to achieve self-esteem through work. When they do, they develop an intrinsic motivtion to effort. Depending on the characteristics of the job to be filled, an employer may try, or not, to encourage this intrinsic motivation by an adequately designed contract. Although equally productive, assuming that agents from distinct socio-demographic groups differ in their propensity to achieve self-esteem through work, this may lead to unequal access to employment. We analyse the consequences of this model on labor market outcomes. The model can give an account of many important traits of socio-demographic disparities in the labor market (notably of vertical occupational segregation.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Baguelin, 2005. "Self-esteem achievement through work and socio-demographic disparities in the labor market," Post-Print halshs-00196140, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00196140
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00196140
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Employment relation; self-esteem; intrinsic motivation; (seeming) hiring discrimination; occupational segregation; socio-demographic earnings gaps; Relation d'emploi; estime de soi; motivation intrinsèque; apparente discrimination à l'embauche; ségrégation par activité; écarts socio-démographiques de rémunération;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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