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Potential in-group bias at work: Evidence from performance evaluations

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  • Eren, Ozkan

Abstract

This paper investigates the existence of in-group bias (preferential treatment of one’s own group) in performance evaluations. Drawing information from an educational setting and employing a unique dataset, we use principals’ observational assessment of teachers to examine the impact of gender interactions on evaluation of employees. Our results indicate that average classroom observation ratings for female teachers, relative to males, were 0.19 of a standard deviation higher when they were evaluated by female principals. We explore the mechanisms and present convincing sets of results consistent with the tendency of superiors to favor same-gender subordinates. Several robustness checks and different placebo tests support our findings.

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  • Eren, Ozkan, 2023. "Potential in-group bias at work: Evidence from performance evaluations," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 296-312.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:206:y:2023:i:c:p:296-312
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2022.11.030
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    Cited by:

    1. Armenak Antinyan & Tigran Aydinyan & Anna Ressi & Lilia Wasserka-Zhurakhovska, 2023. "An Experimental Analysis of In-Group Favoritism and Out-Group Discrimination in the Gain and Loss Domain," CESifo Working Paper Series 10606, CESifo.
    2. Raja Mazhar Hameed & Farah Bashir & Nida Zahid & Abdul Rafae Mazhar Raja, 2023. "Investigating How the Perception of Appraisal Politics and Bias Influence Job Satisfaction and Organizational Citizenship Behavior, with Trust Playing a Moderating Role among Employees," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 12(4), pages 189-204.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Differential sorting; Employee performance evaluations; Same-gender bias; Subjectivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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