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Endogenously Emerging Gender Pay Gap in an Experimental Teamwork Setting

Author

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  • Özgür Gürerk

    (School of Business and Economics, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany)

  • Bernd Irlenbusch

    (Department of Management and C-SEB, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany)

  • Bettina Rockenbach

    (Department of Economics and C-SEB, University of Cologne, 50923 Cologne, Germany)

Abstract

We studied gender diversity and performance in endogenously formed teams in a repeated teamwork setting. In our experiment, the participants ( N = 168, 84 women and 84 men) chose whether to perform a cooperative task only with members of the own gender or in a mixed-gender team. We found that independent of the choice of team, in the initial period, men contributed significantly more to the team projects than women. Men preferred the successful men-only teams in the subsequent periods, resulting in significantly higher profits for men compared to women. This endogenously emerging “gender pay gap” only closed over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Özgür Gürerk & Bernd Irlenbusch & Bettina Rockenbach, 2018. "Endogenously Emerging Gender Pay Gap in an Experimental Teamwork Setting," Games, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jgames:v:9:y:2018:i:4:p:98-:d:188262
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    References listed on IDEAS

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