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Competition, Takeovers, and Gender Discrimination

Author

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  • Fredrik Heyman
  • Helena Svaleryd
  • Jonas Vlachos

Abstract

Theories of taste-based discrimination predict that competitive pressures will drive discriminatory behavior out of the market. The authors analyze how firm takeovers and product market competition affect firms' gender composition and gender wage gap using detailed matched employer-employee data. Taking into account several endogeneity concerns while using a difference- in- difference framework, they find that the share of female employees increases as a result of an ownership change when product market competition is weak. Furthermore, a takeover reduces the gender wage gap. Although the estimated effects are small, the results support the main theoretical predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Fredrik Heyman & Helena Svaleryd & Jonas Vlachos, 2013. "Competition, Takeovers, and Gender Discrimination," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(2), pages 409-432, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:66:y:2013:i:2:p:409-432
    DOI: 10.1177/001979391306600205
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wei-Bin ZHANG, 2014. "Gender Discrimination, Education and Economic Growth in a Generalized Uzawa-Lucas Two-Sector Model," Timisoara Journal of Economics and Business, West University of Timisoara, Romania, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 7(1), pages 1-34.
    3. Carlsson, Mikael & Messina, Julián & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2014. "Firm-level shocks and labor adjustments," Working Paper Series 2014:28, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    4. Hirsch, Boris & Müller, Steffen, 2014. "Firm leadership and the gender pay gap: do active owners discriminate more than hired managers?," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 47(1-2), pages 129-142.
    5. Ghani,Syed Ejaz & Grover,Arti & Kerr,Sari & Kerr,William Robert, 2016. "Will market competition trump gender discrimination in India ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7814, The World Bank.
    6. Cortes, Patricia & Pan, Jessica, 2020. "Children and the Remaining Gender Gaps in the Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 13759, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Iga Magda & Katarzyna Sa³ach, 2019. "Gender Pay Gap Patterns in Domestic and Foreign-Owned Firms," IBS Working Papers 05/2019, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.
    8. Halvarsson, Daniel & Lark, Olga & Gustavsson Tingvall, Patrik, 2022. "Foreign Ownership and Transferring of Gender Norms," Working Paper Series 1433, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    9. Halvarsson, Daniel & Lark, Olga & Gustavsson Tingvall, Patrik, 2022. "Foreign Ownership and Transferring of Gender Norms," Working Papers 2022:6, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    10. Fanfani, Bernardo, 2022. "Tastes for discrimination in monopsonistic labour markets," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    11. Boris Hirsch & Michael Oberfichtner & Claus Schnabel, 2014. "The levelling effect of product market competition on gender wage discrimination," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Ben Yahmed, Sarra, 2023. "Gender wage discrimination with employer prejudice and trade openness," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    13. Chen, Yunsi & Hu, Dezhuang, 2023. "Why are exporters more gender-friendly? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    14. Nikulin, Dagmara & Wolszczak-Derlacz, Joanna, 2022. "GVC involvement and the gender wage gap: Micro-evidence on European countries," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 268-282.
    15. Cooke, Dudley & Fernandes, Ana P. & Ferreira, Priscila, 2019. "Product market competition and gender discrimination," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 496-522.
    16. Ruzzier, Christian A. & Woo, Marcelo D., 2023. "Discrimination with inaccurate beliefs and confirmation bias," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 379-390.
    17. Heyman, Fredrik & Norbäck, Pehr-Johan & Persson, Lars, 2017. "Talent, Career Choice and Competition: The Gender Wage Gap at the Top," Working Paper Series 1169, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 06 Mar 2023.
    18. Yahmed, Sarra Ben, 2017. "Gender wage discrimination and trade openness. Prejudiced employers in an open industry," ZEW Discussion Papers 17-047, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. Aparicio Fenoll, Ainoa, 2011. "The Effect of Product Market Competition on Job Instability," IZA Discussion Papers 5669, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Aparicio-Fenoll, Ainhoa, 2015. "The effect of product market competition on job security," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 145-159.
    21. Yana Gallen, 2018. "Motherhood and the Gender Productivity Gap," Working Papers 2018-091, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J7 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination

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