Opt-out choice framing attenuates gender differences in the decision to compete in the laboratory and in the field
| Autor: | Joyce He, Sonia K. Kang, Nicola Lacetera |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Male
choice architecture media_common.quotation_subject Social Sciences behavioral economics Behavioral economics Economic Sciences Opt-out Competition (economics) Promotion (rank) Sex Factors Perception gender Humans Decision Making Organizational media_common Multidisciplinary Choice architecture Framing (social sciences) Organizational behavior organizational behavior Female Psychology Laboratories Social psychology competition |
| Zdroj: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| ISSN: | 1091-6490 |
| Popis: | Significance How can we close the gender gap in high-level positions in organizations? Interventions such as unconscious bias training or the “lean in” approach have been largely ineffective. This article suggests, and experimentally tests, a “nudge” intervention, altering the choice architecture around the decision to apply for top positions from an “opt in” to an “opt out” default. Evidence from the laboratory and the field shows that a choice architecture in which applicants must opt out from competition reduces gender differences in competition. Opt-out framing thus seems to remove some of the bias inherent in current promotion systems, which favor those who are overconfident or like to compete. Importantly, we show that such an intervention is feasible and effective in the field. Research shows that women are less likely to enter competitions than men. This disparity may translate into a gender imbalance in holding leadership positions or ascending in organizations. We provide both laboratory and field experimental evidence that this difference can be attenuated with a default nudge—changing the choice to enter a competitive task from a default in which applicants must actively choose to compete to a default in which applicants are automatically enrolled in competition but can choose to opt out. Changing the default affects the perception of prevailing social norms about gender and competition as well as perceptions of the performance or ability threshold at which to apply. We do not find associated negative effects for performance or wellbeing. These results suggest that organizations could make use of opt-out promotion schemes to reduce the gender gap in competition and support the ascension of women to leadership positions. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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