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Sexual Misconduct and Gender Inequality

Paper Session

Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM (CST)

Hilton Riverside, Jackson
Hosted By: American Economic Association
  • Chair: Marina Chugunova, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition

Sexual Harassment and Gender Inequality in the Labor Market

Olle Folke
,
Uppsala University
Johanna Karin Rickne
,
Stockholm University

Abstract

We show that sexual harassment imposes costs on men and women whose workplace choices help reduce sex segregation and close the gender pay gap. We describe rates of harassment from colleagues and managers in nationally representative survey data from Sweden. Comparing workplaces shows that women have a higher harassment rate than men in male-dominated and gender-mixed workplaces, and men have a higher rate than women in female-dominated ones. We use a survey experiment with hypothetical job choices to quantify valuations of harassment against the gender with the high risk. When respondents are randomized to see a vignette about a harassment incident in a prospective workplace, their probability of choosing that workplace drops by the same margin as if the job would have offered a 10 percent lower wage. This negative valuation is similar for both men and women, but larger for respondents who themselves belong to the high-risk gender (17 percent compared to 6 percent for the low-risk gender). Finally, we study relationships between sexual harassment, wages, and turnover by linking the nationally representative survey to annual administrative data. Women have a higher harassment risk in high-paying workplaces, while this risk manifests for men in low-paying workplaces. After harassment, victims are more likely to leave the workplace, and these transitions produce more sex segregation and a larger pay gap. We conclude that sexual harassment contributes to gender inequality by making it costly to become and remain a workplace gender minority.

Why is Workplace Sexual Harassment Underreported? The Value of Outside Options Amid the Threat of Retaliation

Gordon B. Dahl
,
University of California-San Diego
Matthew Knepper
,
University of Georgia

Abstract

Why is workplace sexual harassment chronically underreported? We hypothesize that employers coerce victims into silence through the threat of a retaliatory firing. To test this, we estimate how two external shocks which reduce workers’ outside options—unemployment rate increases and a sharp cut to unemployment insurance benefits—affect the selectivity of sexual harassment charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. We find that both shocks increase selectivity, which implies an increase in underreporting. Bolstering these findings, anonymous Google searches for “sexual harassment in the workplace” (total prevalence) spike relative to charges filed (reported prevalence) during the Great Recession.

Gender Inequality and the Direction of Ideas: Evidence from the Weinstein Scandal and #MeToo

Hong Luo
,
Harvard Business School
Laurina Zhang
,
Boston University

Abstract

How do the Harvey Weinstein scandal and #MeToo affect women's likelihood of working in male-dominated domains and the types of ideas developed in Hollywood? To discern these events’ impact, we exploit the variation in whether a producer previously collaborated with Weinstein. We find that compared to their non-associated counterparts, Weinstein-associated teams with female talent are more likely to work on male-oriented stories after the shock, and their depiction of female protagonists is less traditionally feminine. Finally, we find no change in the share of female-oriented stories by Weinstein-associated producers, even though they now work substantially more with female talent. Our findings suggest that these events have helped counteract gender stereotypes for women, but they do not mitigate the shortage of female-oriented ideas.

Allegations of Sexual Misconduct, Accused Scientists, and Their Research

Rainer Widmann
,
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Michael Ernst Rose
,
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Marina Chugunova
,
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition

Abstract

We study academic consequences of non-academic misconduct for accused researchers at US universities. Using data on allegations of sexual misconduct, we find detrimental effects on their scientific impact, productivity and career. We document that other researchers are less likely to cite the perpetrator's prior work after allegations surface. The effect weakens with distance in the co-authorship network and is absent in fields with the highest gender imbalance. We also find that alleged perpetrators publish fewer articles following the incident. They tend to remain active in research, but are less likely to be affiliated with a university.

Working paper available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4260210

Discussant(s)
Sonia Bhalotra
,
University of Warwick
Ana Tur-Prats
,
University of California-Merced
Michael Ernst Rose
,
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Susan Lu
,
Purdue University
JEL Classifications
  • J0 - General
  • K4 - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior