Gender-specific human capital: identification and quantifying its wage effects

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 854-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryna Tverdostup ◽  
Tiiu Paas
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wage Returns ◽  
Specific Human Capital ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Opposite Gender

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the possible reasons behind gender pay disparities, focussing on the unique features of male and female human capital and their wage returns. Despite increasing convergence of male and female human capital attainments, substantial differences remain. Extraction of human capital components non-overlapping across genders provides more profound explanation of the unexplained wage gap of men and women. Design/methodology/approach Starting with the non-parametric matching-based decomposition technique, the authors extend the pay gap estimation framework and focus on males and females having no counterpart in a set of characteristics within the opposite gender. The authors identify gender-unique human capital in terms of differences in distribution of individual characteristics across men and women and gender-specific combination of human capital characteristics. Wage returns to gender-specific profiles are evaluated applying wage regression on both full distribution of earnings and wage quantiles. The research relies on the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) database for Estonia, which incorporates both formal education and cognitive skill records. Findings The study identifies sets of characteristics and competencies exclusive for both genders, proving that male and female profiles cannot be directly compared. The results suggest that men possess high individual and combined abilities in numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environment, not always reached by females. This potentiates men’s higher earnings in spite of their generally lower formal educational attainments. Wage gap analysis over the full distribution of earnings shows even larger “glass ceiling” effect for females, possessing woman-specific human capital. Originality/value The authors raise a research from a novel perspective towards a role of human capital in gender wage inequality. Instead of usual reference to observable gaps in male and female characteristics, the authors identify the gender-specific human capital profiles, to a large extent non-reached by the opposite gender. Analysed associations between gender-specific characteristics and earnings provide an insight to possible effects of gender-unique human capital on a male-female wage disparity.

scholarly journals Gender and urban - rural pay gap in Mekong Delta

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-48
Author(s):  
Mai Quang Hop ◽  
Nguyen Thanh Liem ◽  
Tran Thi Tuan Anh
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Wage Differential ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Workers ◽  
Urban Rural

This study analyzes the wage differential of male and female workers, and labor in urban and rural areas in the Mekong Delta provinces using the VHLSS 2014 data. The results of the decomposition of the wage disparity between men and women show unexplained difference has the major contribution in the wage gap between men and women, in particular the differences in the returns to academic and professional degrees for male and female workers. Meanwhile, the explained difference has lower explanatory power, suggesting that most of attributes of male and female labor do not significantly differ. The results of the decomposition of urban-rural wage differential show the opposite: the difference is mainly due to the fact that urban workers are more educated than rural labor, while the unexplained difference has lower explanatory power. Based on these results, the paper proposes a number of recommendations to reduce the income gap in the Mekong Delta.

scholarly journals Gender pay gap in Vietnam: a propensity score matching analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Hoang Oanh ◽  
Nguyen Hong Ngoc
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Gender Pay Gap ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pay Inequality ◽  
Unobservable Factors

PurposeThis paper investigates the extent, the determinants and the change in the gender pay gap in Vietnam in the period 2010–2016 in order to provide suggestions for policy adjustment to narrow gender pay inequality more effectively.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs the propensity score matching (PSM) method to examine inequality in pay between female and male earners sharing identical characteristics. The analysis is conducted for both the full sample and various characteristic-based subsamples. This procedure is conducted for 2010 and 2016 separately to discover the change in gap and inequality during this period.FindingsThe matching results based on the data sets taken from the Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) 2010 and 2016 affirm that gender income inequality in Vietnam, though persisted, decreased significantly in 2016 compared to 2010, and was insignificant in many subsamples in 2016. In addition to the observable determinants including educational level, occupation, economic sector and industry, unobservable factors are proved to also play an important role in creating the gender pay gap in Vietnam.Practical implicationsThe research findings suggest that policies aimed at mitigating gender pay inequality should take into account both observable characteristics and unobservable factors such as unobservable gender differences that affect wages and gender discrimination in pay.Originality/valueThis is the first study using a matching technique to investigate gender wage gap in Vietnam. With up-to-date data, longer research period and the superiority of the method used in dealing with sample selection bias, the results obtained are more robust, more detailed and reliable.

scholarly journals Trade Liberalization and the Lead Role of Human Capital and Job Attributes in Wage Determination: The Case of Pakistan’s Labor Market

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bushra Yasmin
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Wage Distribution ◽  
Wage Determination ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Job Attributes ◽  
The Difference

This study analyzes the role of human capital and job attributes, i.e., supply-side determinants, in determining wages in a period of trade liberalization. Using the Mincerian earning function and based on data from the Labor Force Surveys, we construct a model to estimate various wage determinants and compute the rates of return to different educational qualifications and relative occupational wage shares for the years 2005/06 and 1990/91. The estimated earning functions for 1990/91 and 2005/06 are compared to investigate whether individual characteristics—such as gender, job location, nature of job, educational qualifications, and different occupations—cause the wage gap to widen or contract under conditions of trade liberalization. The mean and quantile regression approach is used for estimation purposes. Our key findings postulate (i) an increasing gender pay gap, (ii) a higher wage premium to the highest educational qualification, and (iii) more or less stable relative wages for different occupations over time. In addition, wage dispersion across occupational groups appears more pronounced in 1990/91 than in 2005/06, implying a declining trend in the difference in wage distribution across occupations.

Gender effects on odor-induced taste enhancement and subsequent food consumption

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 511-519
Author(s):  
Yamen Koubaa ◽  
Amira Eleuch
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Free Food ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Taste Perception ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Taste Enhancement ◽  
Detection And Recognition

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test for gender-specific effects on odor-induced taste enhancement and subsequent food consumption in olfactory food marketing. Design/methodology/approach Lab experiments conducted among female and male participants using vanillin as a stimulus and ratings of sweetness, taste pleasantness and eating of sugar-free food as measures. Findings Odor-induced taste enhancement is gender-specific. Female consumers outperform male consumers in olfactory reaction and sweetness perception. While men outperform women in food consumption. Research limitations/implications Odor intensity was set to the concentration level of 0.00005per cent according to the findings from (Fujimaru and Lim, 2013). The authors believe that this intensity level is appropriate for both men and women. Still, there may be some gender effects on intensity levels, which are not explored here. The author’s test for the effects of one personal factor, gender and odor-induced taste enhancement of sugar-free food. The authors think that investigating the combined effects of more personal factors such as age, culture and so on adds to the accuracy of the results. Practical implications It seems that the stronger sensory capacities of women in terms of odor detection and recognition already confirmed in the literature extends to the cross-modal effects of this sensory detection and recognition on taste enhancement. It seems appropriate to tailor olfactory food advertising according to the gender of the target audience. Originality/value Odor-induced taste enhancement is still a novel subject in marketing. While most of the research has investigated the effects of smelling congruent odors on taste perception and food consumption among mixed groups of men and women, the value of this paper lies in the investigation of the potential moderating effects of gender on this relationship.

Can pay gaps between gay men and lesbians shed light on male–female pay gaps?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-189
Author(s):  
Jing Wang ◽  
Morley Gunderson
Keyword(s):  
Gay Men ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Lesbian Women ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate the relative importance of gender discrimination and differences in household responsibilities as determinants of the male–female pay gap. Design/methodology/approach It parses out the relative importance of those two factors by using the pay between gay men vs lesbian women as a comparison group that should reflect only gender discrimination. Subtracting the pay gap between gay men and lesbians (reflecting only gender discrimination) from the male–female pay gap for their heterosexual counterparts (reflecting both gender discrimination and household responsibilities) provides evidence of the relative importance of gender discrimination and household responsibilities in explaining the male–female pay gap. Findings The results show that essentially all of the male–female pay gap is attributed to differences in household responsibilities. Originality/value This paper advances the literature of gender wage gap by using a novel comparison group – gay men vs lesbian women – to estimate the relative importance of gender discrimination and differences in household responsibilities as determinants of the male–female pay gap.

Human capital and export performance in the Spanish manufacturing firms

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
José López Rodríguez ◽  
Bill Serrano Orellana
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Export Performance ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Export Intensity ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Human Capital ◽  
General Human Capital

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of firms’ general and specific human capital on the export propensity and intensity. Design/methodology/approach The resource-based view of the firm provides the theoretical background to examine export performance. Empirical analysis is carried out using a national representative sample of Spanish manufacturing firms and employing Logit and Tobit models. Export performance is evaluated in a dual way, as export propensity and export intensity. In relation to human capital a distinction is made between general and specific human capital. Findings The results shown that differences exist in the effect of general and specific human capital. While the firms’ general human capital (education of the firm’s employees) affects both export propensity and intensity, only some dimensions of specific human capital (employees’ experience at the workplace) affects export propensity and intensity but no the employees’ training. Moreover, the firms’ general human capital generates greater changes than the effect of specific human capital on the export behavior. Originality/value This paper extends a line of research underexplored in the literature by analyzing the effect of organizational human capital on the firm’s export performance; moreover, it is the first study for Spanish manufacturing firms; the distinction between general and specific human capital enhances our comprehension of the human capital as a determinant of export performance. In relation to the specific human capital, besides training, we add a new variable related to experience at the workplace.

scholarly journals Occupational segregation and wage differences: the case of Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawel Strawinski ◽  
Aleksandra Majchrowska ◽  
Paulina Broniatowska
Keyword(s):  
Gender Wage Gap ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Occupational Segregation ◽  
Wage Discrimination ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Wage Gaps ◽  
Wage Differences ◽  
Occupational Groups ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relation between occupational segregation and the gender wage differences using data on three-digit occupational level of classification. The authors examine whether a statistically significant relation between the share of men in employment and the size of the unexplained part of the gender wage gap exists. Design/methodology/approach Traditional Oaxaca (1973) – Blinder (1973) decomposition is performed to examine the differences in the gender wage gaps among minor occupational groups. Two types of reweighted decomposition – based on the parametric estimate of the propensity score and non-parametric proposition presented by Barsky et al. (2002) – are used as the robustness check. The analysis is based on individual data available from Poland. Findings The results indicate no strong relation between occupational segregation and the size of unexplained differences in wages. The unexplained wage differences are the smallest in strongly female-dominated and mixed occupations; the highest are observed in male-dominated occupations. However, they are probably to a large extent the result of other, difficult to include in the econometric model, factors rather than the effects of wage discrimination: differences in the psychophysical conditions of men and women, cultural background, tradition or habits. The failure to take them into account may result in over-interpreting the unexplained parts as gender discrimination. Research limitations/implications The highest accuracy of the estimated gender wage gap is obtained for the occupational groups with a similar proportion of men and women in employment. In other male- or female-dominated groups, the size of the estimated gender wage gaps depends on the estimation method used. Practical implications The results suggest that decreasing the degree of segregation of men and women in different occupations could reduce the wage differences between them, as the wage discrimination in gender balanced occupations is the smallest. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the few conducted at such a disaggregated level of occupations, and one of few studies focused on Central and Eastern European countries and the first one for Poland.

Religion and earnings: evidence from Germany

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 841-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Sinnewe ◽  
Michael Kortt ◽  
Todd Steen
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Wage Premium ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
First Results ◽  
Full Time Employment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to estimate the association between religious affiliation and the rate of return to human capital for German men and women. Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs data from the 1997, 2003, 2007 and 2011 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel for German men and women in full-time employment between the age of 25 and 54. The association between religious affiliation and wages was estimated using a conventional human capital model. Findings – This paper finds that Catholic men (women) received a wage premium of 4 per cent (3 per cent) relative to their Protestant counterparts, even after controlling for an extensive range of demographic, economic and social characteristics. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature by providing – to the best of the authors’ knowledge – the first results on the wage premium received by Catholic men and women in the German labour market.

scholarly journals The persistence of pay inequality: The gender pay gap in an anonymous online labor market

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leib Litman ◽  
Jonathan Robinson ◽  
Zohn Rosen ◽  
Cheskie Rosenzweig ◽  
Josh Waxman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Gender Pay Gap ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Online Labor Markets ◽  
Experience Education ◽  
Online Labor

Studies of the gender pay gap are seldom able to simultaneously account for the range of alternative putative mechanisms underlying it. Using CloudResearch, an online microtask platform connecting employers to workers who perform research-related tasks, we examine whether gender pay discrepancies are still evident in a labor market characterized by anonymity, relatively homogeneous work, and flexibility. For 22,271 Mechanical Turk workers who participated in nearly 5 million tasks we analyze hourly wages by gender, controlling for key covariates which have been shown previously to lead to differential pay for men and women. On average, women’s hourly earnings were 10.5% lower than men’s. Several factors contributed to the gender wage gap, including the tendency for women to select tasks that have lower advertised hourly pay. This study provides evidence that gender pay gaps can arise despite the absence of overt discrimination, labor segregation, and inflexible work arrangements, even after experience, education, and other human capital factors are controlled for. Findings highlight the need to examine other possible causes of the gender pay gap. Potential strategies for reducing the pay gap on online labor markets are also discussed.

The gender gap in pre-career salary expectations: a test of five explanations

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Schweitzer ◽  
Sean Lyons ◽  
Lisa K.J. Kuron ◽  
Eddy S.W. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Work Values ◽  
Dynamic Models ◽  
Wage Gap ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Salary Expectations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the gender gap in pre-career salary expectations. Five major explanations are tested to explain the gap, as well as understand the relative contribution of each explanation. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 452 post-secondary students from Canada. Findings – Young women had lower initial and peak salary expectations than their male counterparts. The gap in peak salary could be explained by initial salary expectations, beta values, the interaction between beta values and gender, and estimations of the value of the labor market. Men and women in this study expected to earn a considerably larger peak salary than they expected for others. Research limitations/implications – Cross-sectional data cannot infer causality, and the Canadian sample may not be generalizable to other countries given that an economic downturn occurred at time of data collection. Research should continue to investigate how individuals establish initial salary expectations, while also testing more dynamic models given the interaction effect found in terms of gender and work values in explaining salary expectations. Practical implications – The majority of the gender gap in peak salary expectations can be explained by what men and women expect to earn immediately after graduation. Further, women and men have different perceptions of the value they attribute to the labor market and what might be a fair wage, especially when considering beta work values. Social implications – The data suggests that the gender-wage gap is likely to continue and that both young men and women would benefit from greater education and information with respect to the labor market and what they can reasonably expect to earn, not just initially, but from a long-term perspective. Originality/value – This study is the first to simultaneously investigate five theoretical explanations for the gender gap in pre-career expectations.

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