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Anticipatory Sorting and Gender Segregation in Temporary Employment

Author

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  • Isabel Fernandez-Mateo

    (London Business School, London NW1 4SA, United Kingdom)

  • Zella King

    (Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6UD, United Kingdom)

Abstract

We examine the roots of gender segregation in the screening process by using a longitudinal data set of candidates considered for temporary projects at a staffing firm and following their progress through the hiring pipeline. Theories invoked to explain gender segregation across jobs traditionally rely on firm-specific human capital and expectations of future commitment to explain this phenomenon. These do not apply in this setting. Yet we find that the staffing firm is more likely to shortlist women for low-paid projects and less likely to do so for high-paid ones. These effects are due to women being considered for different projects than men, and associated at least partially to the level of competition within vacancies. Although client companies also exhibit some gender-sorting behavior in the later steps of the hiring process, they are more likely to prefer women and less likely to sort them into lower-paid projects. Our findings are consistent with "anticipatory gender-sorting" mechanisms, by which first screeners generate segregation when narrowing down the pool of candidates for later decision makers. We discuss the implications of this case for theories of gender stratification and workplace inequality, especially in mediated labor markets. This paper was accepted by Jesper Sørensen, organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Fernandez-Mateo & Zella King, 2011. "Anticipatory Sorting and Gender Segregation in Temporary Employment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 57(6), pages 989-1008, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:57:y:2011:i:6:p:989-1008
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1110.1333
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    16. Biegert, Thomas & Kühhirt, Michael, 2018. "Taking lemons for a trial run: does type of job exit affect the risk of entering fixed-term employment in Germany?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87334, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Ariella S. Kristal & Leonie Nicks & Jamie L. Gloor & Oliver P. Hauser, 2023. "Reducing discrimination against job seekers with and without employment gaps," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(2), pages 211-218, February.
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    19. Leung, Ming D., 2017. "Taking a Pass: How Proportional Prejudice and Decisions Not to Hire Reproduce Sex Segregation," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt9f2420wj, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    20. Lepori, B. & Seeber, M. & Bonaccorsi, A., 2015. "Competition for talent. Country and organizational-level effects in the internationalization of European higher education institutions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 789-802.
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