Gender promotion gaps and career aspirations

Ghazala Azmat, Vicente Cuñat and Emeric Henry

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Using a representative survey of U.S. lawyers, we document a sizeable gender gap in early partnership aspirations, which explains half of the later gender promotion gap. We further document that the correlation between aspirations and effort provides a “mechanical link” between aspirations and promotion. Early workplace experiences, such as harassment and demeaning comments, are linked to promotion aspirations. Moreover, early aspirations provide insight into eventual promotion outcomes that goes beyond what can be drawn only from expectations. Our study highlights that measuring aspirations and adapting the corporate culture that shapes them are key components for firms to improve workplace environments.

Keywords: gender gaps; promotion; high-skilled professionals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J44 K40 M51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 15 pages
Date: 2025-03-31
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hrm
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published in Management Science, 31, March, 2025, 71(3), pp. 2127 - 2141. ISSN: 0025-1909

Downloads: (external link)
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/120741/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Gender Promotion Gaps and Career Aspirations (2023)
Working Paper: Gender Promotion Gaps and Career Aspirations (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:120741

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