Social norms that shape expectations of women’s roles within groups can cause gender inequality in
employment to persist, even in high information environments. We test this hypothesis using new data from the largest online job platform in Nigeria. We find significant differences in the hiring outcomes of female applicants by hiring manager co-ethnicity. Male applicants that are co-ethnic with the manager are more likely to be hired by firms, while co-ethnic female applicants are less likely to be hired, particularly for senior roles. A field experiment providing information to hiring managers on hiring gender bias dampens the co-ethnic gender effects..
G²LM|LIC Working Paper No. 95
Firm Culture: How Social Norms Affect Gender Bias in Hiring in Online Labor Markets
- Belinda Archibong
- Francis Annan
- Oyebola Okunogbe
- Anja Benshaul-Tolonen
- Ifeatu Oliobi