Perceptions of candidates for leadership positions (CADDIS approach) in Kazakhstan

Last registered on January 10, 2025

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Perceptions of candidates for leadership positions (CADDIS approach) in Kazakhstan
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015123
Initial registration date
January 06, 2025

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
January 10, 2025, 1:11 PM EST

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Nazarbayev University, Graduate School of Public Policy

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-02-01
End date
2025-12-31
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to explore how the length of maternity leave may impact on women’s career advancement in Kazakhstan. This research will seek to identify whether the perceptions about women and their job competence and other characteristics are influenced by the maternity leave length. Additionally, it will examine the differences in perceptions regarding mothers compared to fathers.
There is a substantial body of literature examining the impacts of maternity leave on female labor force participation, women leadership from fields such as labor economics, organizational management, social psychology research. However, vast majority of these studies originate from developed nations, with virtually no similar research from the developing world. Findings from experimental studies from western context suggest that female candidates might be disadvantaged for showing traits like ambition or assertiveness, whereas males with similar traits tend to receive more favorable treatment due to discrepancies in gender stereotypes. Based on stereotypes about traditional gender roles, taking maternity leave might signal to employers that women prioritize their families over their careers.
Kazakhstan is classified as an upper middle-income nation, characterized by traditional family values, yet it boasts a notably high female labor force participation rate, alongside a very low representation of women in leadership roles, while also having inherited substantial maternity leave benefits from the Soviet era. I hope that my study will help to understand whether women aspiring to reach top-level positions are penalized due to the “unintended” outcomes of maternity leave. This research aims to explore the intricate dynamics between maternity leave policies and women's career progression.
These studies are based on similar studies by Heilman and Okimoto (2008) and Hideg et al (2019, 2024). In addition to measure the agentic qualities it uses the CADDIS approach introduced by Ma et al (2022).
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Tnymbergen, Gulaiym. 2025. "Perceptions of candidates for leadership positions (CADDIS approach) in Kazakhstan." AEA RCT Registry. January 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15123-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Intervention Start Date
2025-02-01
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Difference in evaluation of different candidates
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
These studies will be online experimental surveys that will consist of job description for managerial position followed by internal job application form for this position. After reviewing these two documents respondents will fill in a survey about their evaluation of the candidate followed by survey about their socio-demographic data. After this, participants will be de-briefed about the study. Both studies will be run in Qualtrics platform, participants will be recruited among the alumni of graduate programs of Nazarbayev University.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done by Qualtrics
Randomization Unit
Job application
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
4 groups for Study 1 and 3 groups for Study 2
Sample size: planned number of observations
at least 50 respondent in each group
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
at least 50 respondent in each group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number