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The glass ceiling revisited: empirical evidence from the German academic career ladder

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  • Heinrichs, Katrin
  • Sonnabend, Hendrik

Abstract

Women are underrepresented in leadership positions - academia is no exception. Using data on careers of doctoral graduates in Germany, we study gender differences in the decision to stay at university as a postdoctoral researcher and in the intention to become a professor. We find that gender gaps related to aiming for a professorship can be fully explained by observable characteristics other than gender. On the contrary, even after adding controls for an array of characteristics relevant to academic careers, we find female graduates to be 5.9 percentage points less likely to hold a postdoctoral position which allows them to qualify for professorship.

Suggested Citation

  • Heinrichs, Katrin & Sonnabend, Hendrik, 2020. "The glass ceiling revisited: empirical evidence from the German academic career ladder," VfS Annual Conference 2020 (Virtual Conference): Gender Economics 224594, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc20:224594
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    female labour supply; gender gap; higher education; glass ceiling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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