Who Does the Talking Here? The Impact of Gender Composition on Team Interactions

Arbeitspapier

We analyze how the gender composition of teams affects team interactions. In an online experiment, we randomly assign individuals to gender-homogenous or gender-mixed teams. Teams meet in an audio chat room and jointly work on a gender-neutral team task. By design, effects on team performance can only work through communication. We find that all-male teams communicate more than all-female teams and outperform teams of both alternative gender compositions. In mixed teams, males strongly dominate the team conversation quantitatively. Past exposure to gender-mixed teamwork makes females more reluctant to engage in mixed teams, while for males the opposite is true.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 10550

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Group Behavior ; Field Experiments ; Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
• Subject: teams ; teamwork ; gender composition ; communication ; team performance ; preference for teamwork ; online experiment

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hardt, David ; Mayer, Lea ; Rincke, Johannes
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2023

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/279300
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:46 AM CET