Explicit and Implicit Belief-Based Gender Discrimination: A Hiring Experiment

Kai Barron, Ruth Ditlmann (), Stefan Gehrig () and Sebastian Schweighofer-Kodritsch ()
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Ruth Ditlmann: Hertie School Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Stefan Gehrig: WZB Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Sebastian Schweighofer-Kodritsch: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany

Management Science, 2025, vol. 71, issue 2, 1600-1622

Abstract: This paper studies a key element of discrimination, namely, when stereotypes translate into discriminatory actions. Using a hiring experiment, we rule out taste-based discrimination by design and test for the presence of two types of belief-based gender discrimination. We document evidence of explicit discriminators —individuals who are willing to discriminate even when their hiring choices are highly revealing of their gender-biased beliefs. Crucially, we also identify implicit discriminators —individuals who do not discriminate against women when taking a discriminatory action is highly revealing of their biased beliefs, but do discriminate against women when their biased motive is obscured. Our analysis highlights the central role played by features of the choice environment in determining whether and how discrimination will manifest. We conclude by discussing the implications for policy design.

Keywords: discrimination; hiring decisions; gender; beliefs; experiment; aversive sexism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01229 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Explicit and Implicit Belief-Based Gender Discrimination: A Hiring Experiment (2024)
Working Paper: Explicit and Implicit Belief-Based Gender Discrimination: A Hiring Experiment (2022)
Working Paper: Explicit and Implicit Belief-Based Gender Discrimination: A Hiring Experiment (2022)
Working Paper: Explicit and Implicit Belief-Based Gender Discrimination: A Hiring Experiment (2022)
Working Paper: Explicit and implicit belief-based gender discrimination: A hiring experiment (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:71:y:2025:i:2:p:1600-1622

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