1. Sorting through Affirmative Action: Three Field Experiments in Colombia
- Author
-
Ashok S. Rai, Marcela Ibanez, and Gerhard Riener
- Subjects
jel:C93 ,Economics and Econometrics ,Labour economics ,Affirmative action ,Field (Bourdieu) ,05 social sciences ,Sorting ,jel:J21 ,jel:J24 ,Field experiment,Affirmative action,Labor market,Gender participation gap ,5. Gender equality ,jel:J48 ,0502 economics and business ,8. Economic growth ,Industrial relations ,Economics ,050207 economics ,10. No inequality ,050203 business & management - Abstract
Affirmative action to promote women's employment is a intensely debated policy. Do affirmative action policies attract women and does it come at a cost of deterring high qualified men? In three field experiments in Colombia we compare characteristics of job-seekers who are told of the affirmative action selection criterion before they apply with those who are only told after applying. We find that the gains in attracting female applicants far outweigh the losses in male applicants. Affirmative action is more effective in areas with larger female discrimination and deters male job-seekers from areas with low discrimination.
- Published
- 2018