Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/73314 
Year of Publication: 
2000
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 0011
Publisher: 
Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Department of Economics, Linz
Abstract: 
This paper investigates whether differential treatment of men and women in the labor market is due to unobservable differences in productivity or if it is motivated by a taste for discrimination. While studies on sex-discrimination typically control for human capital (formal education, job-experience etc.), there is usually no information on personality traits available. We argue that personality might affect productivity just as human capital: For many traditionally male occupations (e.g. managers) stereotypically masculine characteristics - like being ambitious, competitive, dominant - seem to be required. On the other hand, stereotypically feminine characteristics - like being gentle, cheerful, friendly - are particularly acknowledged in traditionally female occupations (e.g. nurses). The central question of this paper is whether women are treated differently because they are different (they posses more feminine and less masculine personality traits on the average) or because they are discriminated against. To gather the necessary data a field experiment is conducted. Job applications of candidates, who are equivalent in their human capital but differ in sex and personality are sent out in response to various job advertisements. We found minor indicators that signaling a masculine personality slightly reduces unfavorable treatment of women in typically male professions; nevertheless discrimination in hiring prevails even after controlling for personality characteristics.
Subjects: 
sex-discrimination
matching process
experimental economics
economic psychology
JEL: 
C93
J16
J70
J24
J42
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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