Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Other Publications
    • UWP

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Human Resources
  • Other Publications
    • UWP
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Human Resources

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Archive
    • Supplementary Material
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Subscribers
    • Institutions
    • Advertisers
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
  • Connect
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • Request JHR at your library
  • Alerts
  • Free Issue
  • Special Issue
  • Follow uwp on Twitter
  • Follow JHR on Bluesky
Research ArticleArticles

Selecting Talent

Gender Differences in Success in Competitive Selection Processes

View ORCID ProfileLídia Farré and View ORCID ProfileFrancesc Ortega
Journal of Human Resources, November 2023, 58 (6) 1881-1913; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0320-10767R1
Lídia Farré
Lídia Farré is associate professor of economics at the Universitat de Barcelona and research affiliate at the Institute of Economic Analysis.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Lídia Farré
Francesc Ortega
Francesc Ortega is the Dina Perry professor of economics at CUNY, Queens College ([email protected]).
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Francesc Ortega
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF
Loading

ABSTRACT

We investigate whether competitive selection processes generate gender inequality in the context of a prestigious fellowship program in Spain. We find a clear pattern of gender balancing: in each field of study, reviewers give higher scores to observationally similar candidates of the minority gender. Because, except for STEM, all fields are female-dominated, this results in a female penalty. We also show that gender balancing arises in the first stage of the selection process, where reviewers assign quantitative scores to all applications. Our findings suggest that reviewers have a preference for gender equality in outcomes within their field.

JEL Classification:
  • J3
  • J7
  • Received March 2020.
  • Accepted July 2021.
View Full Text

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Human Resources: 58 (6)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 58, Issue 6
1 Nov 2023
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Back Matter (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Human Resources.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Selecting Talent
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Human Resources
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Human Resources web site.
Citation Tools
Selecting Talent
Lídia Farré, Francesc Ortega
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2023, 58 (6) 1881-1913; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0320-10767R1

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Selecting Talent
Lídia Farré, Francesc Ortega
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2023, 58 (6) 1881-1913; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0320-10767R1
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
    • ABSTRACT
    • I. Introduction
    • II. Data and Descriptive Statistics
    • III. Econometric Specifications
    • IV. Gender Gaps in Success Rates
    • V. Gender Gaps in Reviewer Scores
    • VI. Simulations
    • VII. Rationalizing Gender Balancing
    • VIII. Conclusions
    • Appendix 1
    • Footnotes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Licensure Tests and Teacher Supply
  • Closing the Gap Between Vocational and General Education?
  • Crossing Borders
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • J3
  • J7
UW Press logo

© 2025 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System

Powered by HighWire