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Gender Differences in Competitive Positions: Experimental Evidence on Job Promotion

Author

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  • Emmanuel Peterle

    (CRESE - Centre de REcherches sur les Stratégies Economiques (UR 3190) - UFC - Université de Franche-Comté - UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE])

  • Holger A Rau

    (Georg-August-University = Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)

Abstract

This paper analyzes gender differences in access to competitive positions. We implement an experiment where workers can apply for a job promotion by sending a signal to their employer. We control for gender differences in anticipation of discrimination in a treatment where a computer randomly recruits. Discriminatory behavior by the employer is isolated in a treatment where workers cannot send signals. We find that gender disparity among promoted workers is highest when workers can apply for promotion and employers recruit. Strikingly, the gender composition in competitive position is balanced in the absence of a signaling institution. When signaling is possible, we observe that female workers who do not request a promotion are discriminated against.

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  • Emmanuel Peterle & Holger A Rau, 2017. "Gender Differences in Competitive Positions: Experimental Evidence on Job Promotion," Working Papers hal-01451382, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-01451382
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01451382
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Clot, Sophie & Della Giusta, Marina & Razzu, Giovanni, 2020. "Gender Gaps in Competition: New Experimental Evidence from UK Professionals," IZA Discussion Papers 13323, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. José J. Domínguez & Natalia Montinari, 2021. "Gender Quotas and Task Assignment in Organizations," ThE Papers 21/13, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    4. Veronika Grimm & Holger A Rau & Simeon Schächtele, 2020. "Gender differences in multi-employee gift exchange with self-reported contributions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Sophie Clot & Marina Della Giusta & Giovanni Razzu, 2020. "Gender gaps in competition: new experimental evidence from UK," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2020-15, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    6. Jaber ABDALLAH & Siham JIBAI, 2020. "Women In Leadership: Gender Personality Traits And Skills," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 10(1), pages 5-15, March.
    7. Francesca Barigozzi & Jos J. Dom nguez & Natalia Montinari, 2023. "Entering a gender-neutral workplace? College students expectations and the impact of information provision," Working Papers wp1188, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Experiment; Discrimination; Gender Differences; Real Effort;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General

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