More Women in Tech? Evidence from a Field Experiment Addressing Social Identity
通过向秘鲁和墨西哥低收入女性发送信息，鼓励她们申请编程培训项目，发现信息虽提高了申请率，但导致认知技能负向选择，且强化了性别刻板印象，揭示了鼓励女性进入科技领域的利弊权衡。
We study the impact of using informational messaging aimed at encouraging women to seek a career in technology and the resulting trade-offs for organizations pursuing recruitment strategies of this kind. Our treatment, implemented through two field experiments among potential applicants to a five-month software-coding program targeted at low-income women in Peru and Mexico, counterbalances the strong male stereotype associated with a career in tech. Although our informational messages substantially increase application rates, including candidates at the top of the cognitive skill distribution, they introduce negative selection on cognitive skills, implying a higher cost of screening. Moreover, we observe selection on the noncognitive dimensions addressed with the treatment (e.g., stronger gender stereotypes and traditional norms). This points to the barriers that preclude more women from applying to tech positions, as well as the trade-offs for organizations of adopting such a strategy. This paper was accepted by Alfonso Gambardella, business strategy.