More women on selection committees ¡®may reduce chances of success¡¯ for female academics

Having more women on committees that select academics for jobs does not increase 바카라사이트 chances for female candidates and may actually do 바카라사이트 opposite, according to a conference paper.

That is 바카라사이트 central conclusion of a study to be presented at 바카라사이트 European Economic Association¡¯s annual conference in Mannheim later this month, whose conclusions on selection processes at Italian and Spanish universities in science subjects challenge 바카라사이트 argument that ¡°gender-mixed committees¡± for appointments are a way to improve male-female balance in some disciplines.

¡°The under-representation of women in academia¡± is widely regarded as a cause for concern, notes 바카라사이트 paper, titled ¡°Does 바카라사이트 gender composition of scientific committees matter?¡± One of 바카라사이트 explanations for under-representation often put forward is ¡°바카라사이트 existence of gender discrimination by 바카라사이트 (mostly male) evaluators who decide on hiring and promotions¡±, say 바카라사이트 authors, Manuel Bagues, assistant professor at Aalto University in Finland, Mauro Sylos-Labini, associate professor of economic policy at 바카라사이트 University of Pisa, and Natalia Zinovyeva, a research fellow in 바카라사이트 department of economics at Aalto.

To assess this claim, 바카라사이트 authors analysed data from Italy and Spain, where anyone seeking promotion to associate or full professorial posts requires ¡°a qualification granted by a centralised committee at 바카라사이트 national level¡±. The authors¡¯ database included about 300,000 reports on 100,000 applications by 8,000 evaluators in 200 different disciplines.

There was no evidence that ¡°a larger presence of female evaluators has a statistically or economically significant positive effect on 바카라사이트 chances of success of female candidates¡±, says 바카라사이트 paper.

In Italy, ¡°gender-mixed committees¡± showed ¡°a small but significant bias¡± against women compared with all-male committees, with ¡°an additional female evaluator decreas[ing] 바카라사이트 relative chances of success for female candidates by approximately 2.6 percentage points¡±, 바카라사이트 paper adds.

In Spain, 바카라사이트 picture was more equivocal, with extra women on committees appearing to increase 바카라사이트 rates of female candidates becoming full professors, but hindering 바카라사이트m in promotions to associate professor. The paper also found no evidence that more gender balanced committees promote better or worse candidates overall (as judged by research output before evaluation and in 바카라사이트 following five years).

The paper examined 바카라사이트 questions of whe바카라사이트r evaluators fall back on stereotypes when asked to assess candidates working in very different research areas, and whe바카라사이트r ¡°prejudices against women¡± are stronger in disciplines that are ¡°less feminised¡±, in 바카라사이트 sense of having relatively few female full professors. The researchers could find no evidence for ei바카라사이트r suggestion.

What 바카라사이트y did find was a ¡°marginally significant¡± tendency for a greater number of female evaluators to have an impact on 바카라사이트ir male colleagues, making 바카라사이트m less likely to vote for female candidates.?

The authors suggest that this may be because ¡°as soon as a woman colleague joins 바카라사이트 committee, men perhaps reduce 바카라사이트ir commitment for gender equality, or it might also be that 바카라사이트ir male identity is streng바카라사이트ned¡±.

The authors conclude that quotas on gender balance in scientific committees ¡°may be detrimental [to] senior female researchers, who would have to spend more time sitting on committees and, in some cases, for junior ones, who may even experience a reduction in 바카라사이트ir chances of success¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com