Gender Differences in Accepting and Receiving Requests for Tasks with Low Promotability
American Economic Review
vol. 107,
no. 3, March 2017
(pp. 714-47)
(Complimentary)
Abstract
Gender differences in task allocations may sustain vertical gender segregation in labor markets. We examine the allocation of a task that everyone prefers be completed by someone else (writing a report, serving on a committee, etc.) and find evidence that women, more than men, volunteer, are asked to volunteer, and accept requests to volunteer for such tasks. Beliefs that women, more than men, say yes to tasks with low promotability appear as an important driver of these differences. If women hold tasks that are less promotable than those held by men, then women will progress more slowly in organizations.Citation
Babcock, Linda, Maria P. Recalde, Lise Vesterlund, and Laurie Weingart. 2017. "Gender Differences in Accepting and Receiving Requests for Tasks with Low Promotability." American Economic Review, 107 (3): 714-47. DOI: 10.1257/aer.20141734Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J44 Professional Labor Markets; Occupational Licensing
- J71 Labor Discrimination
- M12 Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
- M51 Personnel Economics: Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions