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The gender pay gap in top corporate jobs in Denmark

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  • Nina Smith
  • Valdemar Smith
  • Mette Verne

Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to analyse the gender pay gap among CEOs, VPs and potential top executives. The authors seek to analyse how much of the gap is explained by differences in individual characteristics and how much is explained by firm characteristics and discriminatory processes. Design/methodology/approach - The paper estimates compensation functions based on a panel of employer‐employee data set covering all Danish companies in the private sector with more than 50 employees during the period 1996‐2005. Findings - The authors document that when controlling for a large number of observable characteristics and time‐invariant characteristics, there still exists a large gender compensation gap among top executives in Denmark. For VP and potential top executives, the estimated gap increased during the period 1996‐2005 while for the small and selected group of CEOs, the corrected gender gap decreased slightly. Research limitations/implications - The study does not claim to identify causal links between top executive compensation and individual or firm specific background characteristics. Practical implications - The extension of the family‐friendly schemes may have had negative boomerang effects on the compensation and careers of all women, irrespective of whether they become mothers or not. Especially for those women aiming to reach the top of the organisation, these effects may be important because potential career interruptions are expected to be more severe for this group. Originality/value - This study adds to the limited empirical literature on the gender pay gap among the narrow group of top executives using a large panel employer‐employee data set of all Danish companies.

Suggested Citation

  • Nina Smith & Valdemar Smith & Mette Verne, 2011. "The gender pay gap in top corporate jobs in Denmark," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(2), pages 156-177, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijmpps:v:32:y:2011:i:2:p:156-177
    DOI: 10.1108/01437721111130189
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lazear, Edward P & Rosen, Sherwin, 1981. "Rank-Order Tournaments as Optimum Labor Contracts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(5), pages 841-864, October.
    2. Smith, Nina & Smith, Valdemar & Verner, Mette, 2005. "Do Women in Top Management Affect Firm Performance? A Panel Study of 2500 Danish Firms," IZA Discussion Papers 1708, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    9. Nabanita Datta Gupta & Nina Smith & Leslie S. Stratton, 2007. "Is Marriage Poisonous? Are Relationships Taxing? An Analysis of the Male Marital Wage Differential in Denmark," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(2), pages 412-433, October.
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    12. Nabanita Datta Gupta & Nina Smith & Leslie S. Stratton, 2007. "Is Marriage Poisonous? Are Relationships Taxing? An Analysis of the Male Marital Wage Differential in Denmark," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(2), pages 412-433, October.
    13. Nabanita Datta Gupta & Ronald L. Oaxaca & Nina Smith, 2006. "Swimming Upstream, Floating Downstream: Comparing Women's Relative Wage Progress in the United States and Denmark," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 59(2), pages 243-266, January.
    14. David Bjerk, 2008. "Glass Ceilings or Sticky Floors? Statistical Discrimination in a Dynamic Model of Hiring and Promotion," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(530), pages 961-982, July.
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    17. B. Burcin Yurtoglu & Christine Zulehner, 2007. "The gender wage gap in top corporate jobs is still there," Vienna Economics Papers 0701, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Magdalena Smyk & Joanna Tyrowicz & Barbara Liberda, 2014. "Age-productivity patterns in talent occupations for men and women: a decomposition," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(3), pages 401-414, September.
    3. Isabel Fernandez-Mateo & Roberto M. Fernandez, 2016. "Bending the Pipeline? Executive Search and Gender Inequality in Hiring for Top Management Jobs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(12), pages 3636-3655, December.
    4. Avinno Faruk, 2021. "Analysing the glass ceiling and sticky floor effects in Bangladesh: evidence, extent and elements," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(9), pages 1-23, September.
    5. Mohan, Nancy, 2014. "A review of the gender effect on pay, corporate performance and entry into top management," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 41-51.
    6. Marion Hutchinson & Janet Mack & Peter Verhoeven & Tom Smith, 2017. "Women in leadership: an analysis of the gender pay gap in ASX-listed firms," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(3), pages 789-813, September.
    7. Sergio Scicchitano, 2014. "The gender wage gap among Spanish managers," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(3), pages 327-344, May.
    8. Smith, Nina & Smith, Valdemar & Verner, Mette, 2011. "Why Are So Few Females Promoted into CEO and Vice-President Positions? Danish Empirical Evidence 1997-2007," IZA Discussion Papers 5961, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Sergio Scicchitano, 2015. "Exploring the gender wage gap in the managerial labour market:a counterfactual decomposition analysis," Working Papers 2, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
    10. David J Maume & Orlaith Heymann & Leah Ruppanner, 2019. "National Board Quotas and the Gender Pay Gap among European Managers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 33(6), pages 1002-1019, December.
    11. Luca Paolo Merlino & Pierpaolo Parrotta & Dario Pozzoli, 2012. "Assortative Matching Gender," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2012-040, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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