Overcoming the Gender Bias in Training: An Empirical Approach in the Latin American Quick-Service Restaurant Industry

Using administrative and survey data from a large restaurant chain in Colombia, we documented gender differences in the managerial approaches most strongly associated with performance. Based on these findings, we designed two customized curricula: a relationship-based curriculum highlighting characteristics exemplified by high-performing female managers and a task- and metric-based curriculum emphasizing characteristics exemplified by high-performing male managers. Both curricula also included training on universally effective practices. We then implemented a randomized controlled trial in which stores were assigned to a control group, a relationship curriculum group, or a task and metric curriculum group. Managers assigned to the relationship-focused curriculum demonstrate significantly larger improvements on relationship-related questions than do those assigned to the task-focused curriculum, while the reverse is true for task-related questions. Importantly, these targeted gains do not come at the expense of general learning: managers in both treatment groups also demonstrate improvements in questions covering content common to both curricula. Follow-up data collection will measure treatment effects on store- and worker-level outcomes.