Competition, Takeovers and Gender Discrimination

Arbeitspapier

Theories of taste-based discrimination predict that competitive pressures will drive discriminatory behavior out of the market. Using detailed matched employer-employee data, we analyze how firm takeovers and product market competition are related to the gender composition of the firm’s workforce and the gender wage gap. Using a difference-in-difference framework and dealing with several endogeneity concerns, we find that the share of female employees increases as a result of an ownership change, in particular when product market competition is weak. Further, increased competition reduces the gender wage gap, especially among highly educated employees. While the estimated wage effect is quite small, the results support the main theoretical predictions.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IFN Working Paper ; No. 734

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Demand and Supply of Labor: General ; Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials ; Labor Discrimination: General
• Subject: Discrimination ; Competition ; Takeovers ; Wages ; Geschlechterdiskriminierung ; Lohndifferenzierung ; Übernahme ; Wettbewerb ; Schweden

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Heyman, Fredrik ; Svaleryd, Helena ; Vlachos, Jonas
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)
• (where): Stockholm
• (when): 2008

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/81248
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET