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  5. Gender Differences in Preferences for Meaning at Work

Gender Differences in Preferences for Meaning at Work

  • Vanessa Burbano
  • Nicolas Padilla
  • Stephan Meier
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy (Forthcoming)

Abstract

Scholars have examined whether preferences for job characteristics help explain why men and women sort into different occupations, but have overlooked preferences for meaning at work. We first document gender differences in preferences for meaning in a large-scale survey covering individuals in 47 countries. We then conduct a choicebased conjoint analysis of a cohort of MBA students at a leading business school to study gender differences in preferences for meaning compared to other job attributes. We show that gender differences in preferences for meaning at work are widespread and partly explain gender differences in behavioral outcomes, including industry of work.

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