Collaborative Research: Gender Differences in Competitive Attitudes

合作研究：竞争态度的性别差异

• 批准号: 0552138
• 负责人: Muriel Niederle
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Stanford University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2010-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0552138&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Gender; Differences; Competitive

Gender differences in the representation among high profile jobs as well as in certain fields are substantial. Standard economic explanations for such occupational differences include differences in preferences for work hours and responsibilities, differences in ability, as well as discrimination. In a previous study the researchers showed that occupational differences are likely to prevail absent these factors. The reason is that even on a leveled playing field, men and women differ in their preference for competitive environments. Men are found to be twice as likely as women to select a competitive over a non-competitive compensation, and a gender gap in choices remains when controlling for performance, confidence and risk aversion. While women shy away from competition men compete too much. Such gender differences not only reduce the number of women who enter tournaments, but also those who win tournaments. Hence it decreases the chance of women succeeding in competition for promotions and more lucrative jobs.While demonstrating substantial gender differences in competitive attitudes sheds light on what may cause occupational differences between men and women, it also raises a series of new questions. In particular, absent a better understanding of what may cause or affect such differences, it is by no means clear what can be done to improve the representation of high-productivity women in top-managerial positions. In this study two different approaches are used to better understand what affects the compensation choices of men and women. The first approach examines what may cause differences in competitive attitudes. Specifically, the study examines how such differences develop from childhood through adolescence, and whether the differences depend on the equality between men and women in the country where the individual lives. The second approach investigates if there are institutions that not only cause men and women to make more similar compensation choices, but also choices that provide them with a larger monetary payoff. In a prior study, researchers found that too few high-productivity women and too many low productivity men entered the tournament; the current study attempts to whether changing the institutions can encourages these individuals to make payoff-superior compensation choices. Initially, the potential effects of affirmative action are examined. Then, in addition to studying "common" affirmative action rules, the study assesses what may be viewed as an extreme of such a system--single-sex tournaments. Furthermore, the study also determines whether institutions that provide better feedback to participants may improve their decisions. Finally, the study assesses whether competitive attitudes differ when individuals compete in groups against other groups, rather than as individuals. Since women frequently are found to be more cooperative than men, it may be that they are more willing to compete when doing so in a group of people.Broader Impacts: While much work has been done to explain the occupational gender differences, the innovation in this study is the use of controlled experiments to demonstrate that a role may be played by differences in competitive attitudes. Understanding what affects an individual's willingness to compete is expected to lead to further understanding of what may be done to improve the representation of high-productivity women in top positions. Such practical insights have broad implications for society as a whole.

在高知名度的工作以及某些领域中，性别差异很大。 对这种职业差异的标准经济学解释包括对工作时间和责任的偏好差异、能力差异以及歧视。 在之前的一项研究中，研究人员表明，如果没有这些因素，职业差异可能会普遍存在。 原因是，即使在公平的竞争环境中，男性和女性对竞争环境的偏好也不同。 研究发现，男性选择竞争性薪酬的可能性是女性的两倍，而且在控制绩效、信心和风险厌恶程度时，选择上的性别差距仍然存在。 当女性回避竞争时，男性却过度竞争。 这种性别差异不仅减少了参加锦标赛的女性人数，也减少了赢得锦标赛的女性人数。 因此，它降低了女性在晋升和更赚钱的工作竞争中成功的机会。虽然竞争态度中存在巨大的性别差异揭示了可能导致男性和女性之间职业差异的原因，但它也提出了一系列新问题。 特别是，如果无法更好地了解可能导致或影响这种差异的因素，就根本不清楚可以采取哪些措施来提高高生产率女性在高层管理职位中的代表性。在这项研究中，采用了两种不同的方法来更好地了解影响男性和女性薪酬选择的因素。 第一种方法检查可能导致竞争态度差异的因素。 具体来说，该研究探讨了这种差异如何从童年到青春期发展，以及这些差异是否取决于个人居住国家的男女平等。 第二种方法调查是否存在一些制度不仅可以使男性和女性做出更相似的薪酬选择，而且可以为他们提供更大的金钱回报。 在之前的一项研究中，研究人员发现参加锦标赛的高生产力女性太少，而低生产力男性太多；目前的研究试图了解改变制度是否可以鼓励这些人做出回报更高的补偿选择。 首先，研究平权行动的潜在影响。 然后，除了研究“常见”平权行动规则之外，该研究还评估了可能被视为此类系统的极端情况——单一性别锦标赛。 此外，该研究还确定了向参与者提供更好反馈的机构是否可以改善他们的决策。 最后，该研究评估了当个人在群体中与其他群体而不是个人竞争时，竞争态度是否有所不同。 由于女性经常被发现比男性更合作，因此她们可能更愿意在一群人中竞争。 更广泛的影响：虽然已经做了很多工作来解释职业性别差异，但在这项研究利用对照实验来证明竞争态度的差异可能发挥一定的作用。 了解影响个人竞争意愿的因素预计将有助于进一步了解如何提高高生产率女性在高层职位的代表性。 这些实用的见解对整个社会具有广泛的影响。