Social desirability bias in attitudes towards sexism and DEI policies in the workplace

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2024
Volume: 225
Issue: C
Pages: 465-482

Authors (2)

Boring, Anne (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam) Delfgaauw, Josse (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Do workers speak their mind about sexism and about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the workplace? We measure social desirability bias regarding sexism and DEI policies using a list experiment survey among workers from five male-dominated industries in France and in the US. In both countries and, remarkably, among both men and women, we document substantial social desirability bias. Managers exhibit a larger bias than non-managerial employees. This difference between voiced and real attitudes may make organizations overestimate support for DEI policies in their workforce, rendering such policies less effective.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:225:y:2024:i:c:p:465-482
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-24