
Insights / Research Brief•Apr 04, 2023
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs through Female Mentors
Frank Germann, Stephen J. Anderson, Pradeep Chintagunta, Naufel Vilcassim
Female entrepreneurs ran more successful firms after receiving mentorship from women, compared to a control group that received no mentorship and female entrepreneurs who were mentored by men.
Topics:
Economic Mobility & Poverty

Insights / Research Brief•Mar 20, 2023
How Are Gender Norms Perceived?
Leonardo Bursztyn, Alexander W. Cappelen, Bertil Tungodden, Alessandra Voena, David Yanagizawa-Drott
A new survey across 60 countries shows that misperceptions of gender norms are pervasive: In less gender-equal countries, people underestimate support for women’s basic right to work outside the home and for affirmative action policies, particularly support among men, while in more gender-equal countries, people overestimate support for affirmative action, particularly support among women, and underestimate support for basic rights; such misperceptions may obstruct progress toward gender equality.
Insights / Research Brief•Feb 23, 2023
Customer Discrimination in the Workplace: Evidence from Online Sales
Erin Kelley, Gregory Lane, Matthew Pecenco, Edward Rubin
The assignment of a female-sounding name to tele-agents leads to 50 percent fewer purchases; customers also lag in responding, are less expressive, and avoid discussing purchases.
Topics:
Employment & Wages

Insights / Research Brief•Jun 15, 2022
Does Information Affect Homophily?
Yana Gallen, Melanie Wasserman
In their search for mentors, female students use gender as a guide when they have no information about mentor quality; however, when mentor information is available, female students do not have a gender preference.
Topics:
Employment & Wages
Insights / Research Brief•Apr 14, 2022
Doing Business Far from Home: Multinational Firms and Labor Market Outcomes in Saudi Arabia
Alessandra González, Xianglong Kong
Foreign firms tend to offer higher wages and hire a larger share of Saudi workers, but they are not more likely to hire female workers despite coming from countries with greater female labor force participation.
Topics:
Employment & Wages
Insights / Research Brief•Apr 14, 2022
Mentorship and Role Modeling, In and Out of the House: Evidence from High School Girls in Saudi Arabia
Alessandra González, Inmaculada Macias-Alonso, Jennifer Peck
Formal mentoring increases professional aspirations among female high school students; these effects are magnified when students have fathers and working mothers in the house during the lockdown.
Topics:
Employment & Wages
Insights / Research Brief•Apr 11, 2022
Dads and Daughters: Disentangling Altruism and Investment Motives For Spending on Children
Rebecca Dizon-Ross, Seema Jayachandran
In contrast to mothers, fathers are less willing to pay for their daughters’ human capital than their sons’, and fathers are also less likely to purchase goods that simply bring joy to their daughters.
Topics:
Economic Mobility & Poverty
Insights / Research Brief•Feb 18, 2021
Informed Choices: Gender Gaps in Career Advice
Yana Gallen, Melanie Wasserman
When students seek information from business professionals about careers, female students receive substantially more information on work/life balance relative to male students; in contrast, professionals mention workplace culture to male and female students at similar rates.
Topics:
Employment & Wages