Meritocracy, Nepotism, and Gender: Do Perceived Connections to Political Dynasties and Gender Impact Hiring Decisions in the Philippines?

Last registered on April 16, 2024

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Meritocracy, Nepotism, and Gender: Do Perceived Connections to Political Dynasties and Gender Impact Hiring Decisions in the Philippines?
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013096
Initial registration date
March 20, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 16, 2024, 4:01 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region
Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
World Bank

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
University of California, Los Angeles
PI Affiliation
University of Southern California
PI Affiliation
University of California, Los Angeles
PI Affiliation
University of Southern California

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-11-01
End date
2024-06-30
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Gender bias and nepotism are persistent challenges in the labor market worldwide. In developing economies such as the Philippines, 54.8% of men and 34.5% of women participated in the labor force, roughly a 20% difference (National Economic and Development Authority, 2023). Similarly, political dynasties are well known to have dominant and wide networks in both private and public spheres. In the Philippines, where political dynasties are prevalent and last names can carry political significance, we expect that gender and perceived family connections interact to play a significant role in hiring decisions. This study aims to investigate the role that family ties and gender play in influencing firm hiring decisions. We expect to see a preference for hiring male candidates and those with perceived family connections. However, we also expect an interaction effect in which the positive effect of family ties is stronger for female candidates. In this survey experiment, we will interview hiring managers in a sample of approximately 500 international and domestic manufacturing firms in the Philippines. The hiring manager will be presented with three different pairs of two hypothetical job candidates’ resumes and subsequently asked which candidate their firm would be more likely to hire based on their experience, skills, education, and other qualifications.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Cruz, Cesi et al. 2024. "Meritocracy, Nepotism, and Gender: Do Perceived Connections to Political Dynasties and Gender Impact Hiring Decisions in the Philippines? ." AEA RCT Registry. April 16. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13096-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Our study is a survey experiment conducted by presenting hiring managers with simulated job applications. The interviews with the hiring managers includes a conjoint experiment in which the respondent is shown pairs of resumes of two hypothetical job candidates and asked which candidate their firm would be more likely to hire.
Intervention (Hidden)
Our study is a survey experiment conducted by presenting hiring managers with simulated job applications. The interviews with the hiring managers includes a conjoint experiment in which the respondent is shown pairs of resumes of two hypothetical job candidates and asked which candidate their firm would be more likely to hire. The applications will be varied by gender (determined by first names) and family connection indicators (based on last names and internship experience). To ensure that the work experience of the two types of applicants are equal, the internship description and company names will be the same for both candidates with and without family connections.
Intervention Start Date
2023-11-30
Intervention End Date
2024-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Primary outcomes: 1) hiring decisions, (2) perceptions of candidates, (3) salary/compensation
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary outcomes: 4) perceived ability to complete administrative tasks, 5) perceived ability to improve network with peer firms, 6) candidate’s professional advancement within firm, 7) technical qualification of the candidate, 8) ability to maintain business relations, 9) ability to form and maintain customer relations, 10) ability to manage bureaucratic relations
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In this survey experiment, we will interview hiring managers in a sample of 500 international and domestic manufacturing firms in the Philippines. The hiring manager will be presented with three different pairs of two hypothetical job candidates’ resumes and subsequently asked which candidate their firm would be more likely to hire based on their experience, skills, education, and other qualifications.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization by computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
500 international and domestic manufacturing firms in the Philippines
Sample size: planned number of observations
2000 managers
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Managers from 500 manufacturing firms
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Southern California Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2023-08-18
IRB Approval Number
UP-23-00752

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials