Fringe Benefits and Occupational Choice

Last registered on January 30, 2025

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Fringe Benefits and Occupational Choice
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015129
Initial registration date
January 07, 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 15, 2025, 5:22 AM EST

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

Last updated
January 30, 2025, 10:32 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Affiliation
University of Bern

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
University of Bern

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-02-03
End date
2025-05-15
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Can job amenities help overcome gendered occupational choices? We conduct a discrete choice experiment to test whether (1) offering amenities increase the probability that somebody chooses an offer, and (2) amenities that are generally favored by boys (girls) increase the probability of boys (girls) to choose a job offer with a counter-stereotypical occupation. Specifically, we conduct the discrete choice experiment in collaboration with a leading online platform for apprenticeships in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Since students use the platform to discover, explore, and apply for suitable occupations, leveraging user-specific data from the platform provides valuable insights into their interests and occupational fit, allowing us to tailor the choice sets to each participant’s relevant occupations.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Schilter, Claudio and Thea Zöllner. 2025. "Fringe Benefits and Occupational Choice." AEA RCT Registry. January 30. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15129-2.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-02-03
Intervention End Date
2025-05-15

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcome is the job offer chosen in each choice set. We have the following primary hypothesis about this outcome.
Our primary hypotheses are that 1) offering amenities increase the probability that somebody chooses an offer; 2) Stereotypical amenities increase the probability of choosing a job offer with a counter-stereotypical occupation.
When analyzing these hypotheses, we can quantify the effect in both willingness to pay in terms of salary and willingness to sacrifice occupational fit.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
In order to analyze the effect of amenities on occupational choice, we use a discrete choice experiment in which respondents need to decide in eight choice sets which occupation they would rather want to pursue. To measure the effect of amenities on gendered occupational choice, each choice sets presents two options varying in i) occupation ii) salary and iii) amenity. Leveraging the user-specific search and application data from the online platform, we present students in total four different occupations, each tailored to their individual's preferences and fit. The individual fit is a combination of interests in tasks and work environments, if available derived by the online platform, and academic fit. One of the four occupations is the counter-stereotypical occupation for which the student demonstrated the highest fit. Two other occupations they see are forced to be either neutral or stereotypical. The fourth job is a job for which they have displayed interest by searching or applying for it – which is usually also neutral or stereotypical.
Within each choice set, each choice option contains either an amenity that is favored by girls (and thus is classified as stereotypically female), an amenity that is favored by boys, an amenity that is gender-neutral, or no amenity (which is explicitly stated). Finally, the choice set also varies the wages in order to obtain a willingness to pay.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
As secondary outcomes, we analyze the heterogeneity of our results with respect to the gender that traditionally works in the occupation at hand, the participants’ gender, their interest in the amenities and the occupations, and whether they are very advanced or less advanced in their occupational choices (8th graders vs 9th/10th graders).
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We design a discrete choice experiment targeting Swiss students who are about to make their first career decision. In particular, we work with a platform for apprenticeship occupations to target students who aim for an apprenticeship after compulsory education (typically starting after 9th grade), as those students represent the vast majority of the population, around two-thirds of a birth cohort. This first occupational choice is particularly interesting because, after boys and girls attend the same schools and classes, gender differences emerge for the first time, with apprenticeship occupations commonly showing gender imbalances with female shares well above 90% and well below 10%.
We present students 8 choice sets within a survey, each being a choice between two hypothetical apprenticeship offers. The options have each an occupation, an amenity (or specifically no amenity), and a monthly salary.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization is done by computer using Stata and Qualtrics.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1000 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
8000: 1000 individuals times 8 choice sets each
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
333 observations for each scenario (there are 24 different choice sets in total, each participant sees 8)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Bern
IRB Approval Date
2024-12-07
IRB Approval Number
432024
Analysis Plan

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