Why Women Prefer Working Together (and Why Men Prefer Working Alone)
One of the puzzles of the persistent gender wage gap is why women are highly overrepresented in certain fields, like the nonprofit sector, and hugely underrepresented in other fields, like financial institutions and executive positions in major companies. One reasonable question to ask about the gap is: How much should we blame “the system” (i.e.: clubby nepotism, sexism, lack of paternity leave) and how much should we chalk this up to women’s decisions (i.e.: leaning out in their late 20s and choosing careers that pay less even when they had options to earn more).
Peter J. Kuhn and Marie-Claire Villeval wade into this contentious field with a new study: "Are Women More Attracted to Cooperation Than Men?" The short answer is, well, yes. The more complex answer is: Yes, because men demonstrate more overconfidence in their own abilities and distrust in their colleagues’ aptitude, except under key situations.
Read more. [Image: AnnieAnniePancake/Flickr]
