Rank versus inequality — Does gender composition matter?

DOI:	https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4291743
URL:	https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_i...
Weitere URL:	https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/workin...
Dokumenttyp:	Arbeitspapier
Erscheinungsjahr:	2022
Titel einer Zeitschrift oder einer Reihe:	CESifo Working Papers
Band/Volume:	10109
Ort der Veröffentlichung:	München
Verlag:	Munich Society for the Promotion of Economic Research
ISSN:	1617-9595 , 2364‐1428
Sprache der Veröffentlichung:	Englisch
Einrichtung:	Außerfakultäre Einrichtungen > GESS - CDSE (VWL)
Fachgebiet:	330 Wirtschaft
Fachklassifikation:	JEL: C910 , D630,
Freie Schlagwörter (Englisch):	gender composition , positional concerns , preferences for redistribution , last-place aversion , perception of luck
Abstract:	This study investigates the influence of gender composition on allocation decisions involving a rank–inequality tradeoff. In a laboratory experiment, participants chose to either alleviate inequality by relinquishing their current relative rank or exacerbate inequality by maintaining their current rank. Two essential features of the experiment are: 1) participants’ relative rank is the outcome of their real-effort performance and luck; 2) participants’ genders are naturally revealed by gender-specific nicknames. We found that female participants are more reluctant to relinquish their current relative rank when the persons ranked below and above them are of the opposite gender. This tendency was less pronounced in the male participants.