Overcoming the Gender Bias in Training: An Empirical Approach in the Latin American Quick-Service Restaurant Industry

Achyuta Adhvaryu, Anant Nyshadham, Jorge Andrés Tamayo, Teresa Molina and Sonia Bhalotra

No 14570, IDB Publications (Working Papers) from Inter-American Development Bank

Abstract: Using administrative and survey data from a large restaurant chain in Colombia, we documented gender differences in the managerial approaches most strongly associated with performance. Based on these findings, we designed two customized curricula: a relationship-based curriculum highlighting characteristics exemplified by high-performing female managers and a task- and metric-based curriculum emphasizing characteristics exemplified by high-performing male managers. Both curricula also included training on universally effective practices. We then implemented a randomized controlled trial in which stores were assigned to a control group, a relationship curriculum group, or a task and metric curriculum group. Managers assigned to the relationship-focused curriculum demonstrate significantly larger improvements on relationship-related questions than do those assigned to the task-focused curriculum, while the reverse is true for task-related questions. Importantly, these targeted gains do not come at the expense of general learning: managers in both treatment groups also demonstrate improvements in questions covering content common to both curricula. Follow-up data collection will measure treatment effects on store- and worker-level outcomes.

JEL-codes: J24 L20 L66 M50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:idb:brikps:14570

DOI: 10.18235/0014006

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