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Why Are So Few Females Promoted into CEO and Vice-President Positions? Danish Empirical Evidence 1997-2007

Author Info

  • Smith, Nina

    ()

    (Aarhus University)

  • Smith, Valdemar

    ()

    (Aarhus School of Business)

  • Verner, Mette

    ()

    (Danish School of Media and Journalism)

Abstract

In most OECD countries, only very few women succeed in reaching top executive positions. In this paper, the probability of promotion into VP and CEO positions is estimated based on employer-employee data on all Danish companies observed during the period 1997-2007. After controlling for a large number of family-related variables, including take-up history of maternity and paternity leave and proxies for 'female-friendly' companies, there is still a considerable gap in the promotion probabilities for CEO positions, but not for VP positions. Thus, the results cannot confirm recent theories on 'belief flipping' or disappearance of statistical discrimination against women who succeed getting into career track positions. The results reflect that the hiring decision and the decision to enter a top position as 'number one', i.e. CEO, in the organization is very different from the decision to hire or become VP, i.e. 'number two' or lower.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 5961.

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Length: 48 pages
Date of creation: Sep 2011
Date of revision:
Publication status: published in: Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 2013, 66 (2), 380-408
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5961
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Keywords: promotion; top executive positions; statistical discrimination;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
  • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
  • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
  • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions

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  17. repec:esx:essedp:672 is not listed on IDEAS
  18. Nina Smith & Valdemar Smith & Mette Verne, 2011. "The gender pay gap in top corporate jobs in Denmark: Glass ceilings, sticky floors or both?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 32(2), pages 156-177, May.
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Cited by:

  1. Juanna Schrøter Joensen & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2013. "Math and Gender: Is Math a Route to a High-Powered Career?," Economics Working Papers 2013-01, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
  2. Geiler, P.H.M., 2012. "Essays on executive remuneration contracting : Managerial power, corporate payout, and gender discrimination," Other publications TiSEM 3c536b0d-bce3-4d1a-9f6f-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
  3. Juanna Joensen, 2012. "Math and Gender: What if Girls Do Math?," 2012 Meeting Papers 992, Society for Economic Dynamics.
  4. Parrotta, Pierpaolo & Smith, Nina, 2013. "Female-Led Firms: Performance and Risk Attitudes," IZA Discussion Papers 7613, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  5. Parrotta, Pierpaolo & Smith, Nina, 2013. "Why So Few Women on Boards of Directors? Empirical Evidence from Danish Companies 1997-2007," IZA Discussion Papers 7678, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).

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