Mabel Abraham

Women remain underrepresented in the highest positions in America, representing only 11% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 31% of board members, 25% of U.S. Senators, and 24% of Governors. This paper uses a mixed-methods approach to show how professional experience serves as one pathway for closing the gender gap in pursuing higher positions.

Evaluations govern the disbursal of critical resources and opportunities across professional contexts. However, these processes are often inequitable, fortifying entrenched social and economic disparities. This paper develops a unifying theoretical framework that uncovers the common categories of drivers that exacerbate (and mitigate) inequality.

Companies increasingly make claims that they are committed to social issues (e.g., diversity). This paper uses a field experiment to examine how prospective job applicants respond differently to these claims based on the gender composition of the company’s leadership.