RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Selecting Talent
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1881
OP 1913
DO 10.3368/jhr.0320-10767R1
VO 58
IS 6
A1 Farré, Lídia
A1 Ortega, Francesc
YR 2023
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/58/6/1881.abstract
AB 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.