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Discriminatory Social Attitudes and Varying Gender Pay Gaps within Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Janssen
  • Simone Tuor Sartore
  • Uschi Backes-Gellner

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between discriminatory social attitudes toward gender equality and firms’ pay-setting behavior by combining information about regional votes on constitutional amendments on equal rights for women and men with a large data set of multi-establishment firms and workers. The results show a strong relationship between discriminatory social attitudes toward gender equality and gender pay gaps within firms across regions. The results remain robust, even when the authors account for detailed worker and job characteristics and for regional sorting of firms. Overall, the results suggest that gender pay gaps are larger in regions where more people oppose gender equality rights. In other words, in the same firm women earn lower wages than their male coworkers in regions where more people have discriminatory social attitudes toward gender equality.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Janssen & Simone Tuor Sartore & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2016. "Discriminatory Social Attitudes and Varying Gender Pay Gaps within Firms," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 69(1), pages 253-279, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:69:y:2016:i:1:p:253-279
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    Cited by:

    1. Gustavo Tietz Cazeri & Izabela Simon Rampasso & Walter Leal Filho & Osvaldo Luiz Gonçalves Quelhas & Milena Pavan Serafim & Rosley Anholon, 2021. "Gender Wage Gaps in Brazilian Companies Listed in the Ibovespa Index: A Critical Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-11, June.
    2. Owen, Ann L. & Wei, Andrew, 2021. "Sexism, household decisions, and the gender wage gap," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Jacob Bastian, 2020. "The Rise of Working Mothers and the 1975 Earned Income Tax Credit," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 44-75, August.
    4. Ying Li Compton & Sok-Hyon Kang & Zinan Zhu, 2019. "Gender Stereotyping by Location, Female Director Appointments and Financial Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 445-462, December.
    5. Owen, Ann L. & Wei, Andrew, 2020. "Sexism, Social Outcomes, and the Gender Wage Gap," MPRA Paper 102474, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Aepli, Manuel & Kuhn, Andreas & Schweri, Jürg, 2021. "Culture, norms, and the provision of training by employers: Evidence from the Swiss language border," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    7. Кирюшина М. А. & Рудаков В. Н., 2021. "Гендерные Различия В Заработной Плате Выпускников Вузов И Учреждений Спо На Начальном Этапе Карьеры," Вопросы образования // Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 172-198.
    8. Kuhn, Andreas, 2022. "The Times Have Changed: Tracking the Evolution of Gender Norms over Time," IZA Discussion Papers 15621, IZA Network @ LISER.
    9. Iga Magda & Ewa Cukrowska-Torzewska, 2019. "Gender wage gap in the workplace: Does the age of the firm matter?," IBS Working Papers 01/2019, Instytut Badan Strukturalnych.
    10. Kuhn, Andreas & Schweri, Jürg & Wolter, Stefan C., 2022. "Local norms describing the role of the state and the private provision of training," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    11. Andreas Kuhn & Stefan C. Wolter, 2023. "The strength of gender norms and gender‐stereotypical occupational aspirations among adolescents," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 101-124, February.
    12. Ian Burn, 2020. "The Relationship between Prejudice and Wage Penalties for Gay Men in the United States," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(3), pages 650-675, May.
    13. Patrick Lehnert & Harald Pfeifer, 2024. "Environmental Awareness and Occupational Choices of Adolescents," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0231, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    14. Claudia Roethlisberger & Franziska Gassmann & Wim Groot & Bruno Martorano, 2023. "The contribution of personality traits and social norms to the gender pay gap: A systematic literature review," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 377-408, April.
    15. Lehnert, Patrick & Pfister, Curdin & Backes-Gellner, Uschi, 2020. "Employment of R&D personnel after an educational supply shock: Effects of the introduction of Universities of Applied Sciences in Switzerland," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    16. Margarita Kiryushina & Victor Rudakov, 2021. "The Gender Gap in Early-Career Wages of Universities' and Vocational Education Institutes' Graduates," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 2, pages 172-198.
    17. Hélène Périvier & Gregory Verdugo, 2021. "Can parental leave be shared?," Sciences Po Economics Publications (main) hal-03364048, HAL.
    18. Patricia Palffy & Patrick Lehnert & Uschi Backes‐Gellner, 2023. "Social norms and gendered occupational choices of men and women: Time to turn the tide?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(4), pages 380-410, October.
    19. Li, Lilian & Cheng, Mingwang & Chen, Chunyan, 2025. "Gender wage gap of migrant workers and its root causes: Gender discrimination or labor endowment?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    20. Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2021. "Insights into the Economic Benefits of VPET for Individuals: Theoretical and Empirical Results for Researchers and Practitioners," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0180, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    21. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2021. "Works councils and organizational gender policies in Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(4), pages 1020-1048, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • M5 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics

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