Global Influences on Gender Inequality: Evidence from Female Employment in Korea

Jaerim Choi () and Theresa Greaney

No 201908, Working Papers from University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics

Abstract: Do multinational enterprises (MNEs) from more gender-equal countries bring gender-equal employment practices with them or do they adopt the gender norms of a less gender-equal host country as part of their assimilation strategy? Using firm-level panel data for Korea, a country with low gender equality, we find suggestive evidence that MNEs from more gender-equal countries have higher female shares of employment and a higher likelihood of a female CEO of their Korean affiliate. Then, using difference-in-differences and nearest-neighbor matching techniques, we uncover causal evidence that MNEs bring their country of origin’s gender norms in employment with them. Firms that switch from Korean to foreign ownership report 2 to 12 percentage points higher female shares of permanent main-task workers at firm headquarters compared with firms that remain under domestic ownership. Lastly, we quantify that 1 to 7 percent of the increase in firm-level total factor productivity caused by foreign acquisition can be attributed to workforce reorganization that may reduce gender-based misallocations of talent.

Keywords: Gender inequality; Foreign ownership (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F23 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-bec, nep-gen and nep-int
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/workingpapers/WP_19-08.pdf First version, 2019 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: GLOBAL INFLUENCES ON GENDER INEQUALITY: EVIDENCE FROM FEMALE EMPLOYMENT IN KOREA (2022)
Working Paper: Global Influences on Gender Inequality: Evidence from Female Employment in Korea (2020)
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