Der Einfluss betrieblicher Strukturen auf die Verdienste von Frauen und Männern - Ergebnisse der Betriebsbefragung des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP-LEE)

Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) and the 2011 implemented Linked Employer-Employee Survey (SOEP-LEE) the article examines the efficacy of firm policies which are assumed to foster equality of opportunities for women and men. For this purpose, the associations between these firm structures and the average earnings of female and male employees are analysed. The results show that the average earnings of the respondents benefit from binding formalisation measures, and that this is the case especially for female employees. However, examining other variables, the analyses reveal no effect of less-binding formalisation measures. Concerning firm-specific policies for balancing family and work, the ana­lyses indicate that measures on working (time) flexibility have relatively high chances of reducing inequalities in the earnings whereas other results are surprising, for example that childcare measures favour men more than women. The empirical results are discussed in terms of the “flexibility stigma” and of arguments relating to neo-institutionalism.