The gender gap among top business executives

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2023
Volume: 211
Issue: C
Pages: 270-286

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

This paper examines gender differences among top US business executives using a large executive-employer matched data set spanning the last quarter century. Female executives make up 6% of the sample and exhibit more labor market churning – both higher entry and higher exit rates. Unconditionally, women earn 26% less than men, which decreases to 8% once executive characteristics, firm characteristics, and in particular job title are accounted for. We find that female executives are disproportionately represented in firms with more temporal flexibility and female-friendly corporate cultures, but this does not explain the gender pay gap. Rather, corporate culture is correlated with gender pay gaps within firms; specifically the within-firm gender pay gap is significantly smaller at female-friendly firms.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:211:y:2023:i:c:p:270-286
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25