Age and Gender Preferences in Job Opportunities: a Survey in Italian SMEs

Last registered on September 12, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Age and Gender Preferences in Job Opportunities: a Survey in Italian SMEs
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016345
Initial registration date
September 09, 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
September 12, 2025, 10:21 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Italy
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Francesco Maura
Affiliation
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Paola Profeta
PI Affiliation
Bocconi University
PI Name
Olivia Masi
PI Affiliation
Bocconi University and Aalto University

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-07-07
End date
2025-10-31
Keywords
Behavior, Firms & Productivity, Gender, Other
Additional Keywords
Ageing
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates how gender and age biases affect managerial decisions in Italian small and medium enterprises.

Evidence from our earlier survey of 827 Italian SME managers uncovered systematic age- and gender-related biases in allocating training opportunities (with younger employees, especially young women, disproportionately favored). Drawing on this result, we now propose an information-treatment to incentivize the allocation of training programs to older employees, reducing the discrimination against the category and to improve the productivity of the firm. Specifically, SMEs' managers will be randomly assigned to receive either (i) an information treatment highlighting the productivity gains and legal obligations associated with upskilling older staff, or (ii) a neutral business-news placebo.
We will then compare intended training assignments across groups to identify causal effects of the information cue.

The goal is to test whether a low-cost, information-based nudge can reduce age-driven discrimination in training decisions and, ultimately, improve firm-level human-capital deployment.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Masi, Olivia, Francesco Maura and Paola Profeta. 2025. "Age and Gender Preferences in Job Opportunities: a Survey in Italian SMEs." AEA RCT Registry. September 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16345-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We propose an information-treatment to incentivize the allocation of training programs to older employees, reducing the discrimination against the category and to improve the productivity of the firm.
Specifically, SMEs' managers will be randomly assigned to receive either (i) an information treatment highlighting the possibility and relevance with upskilling older staff, or (ii) a neutral business-news placebo.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-07-13
Intervention End Date
2025-10-18

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
SMEs managers behavior and choices on the job training assignment.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The experimental design will be composed by:
(i) an information treatment highlighting the possibility and relevance with upskilling older staff
(ii) a neutral business-news placebo.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
firms and their managers/director
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
800 managers (circa)
Sample size: planned number of observations
800 managers (circa)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
400 treated, 400 non-treated
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethics Committee of Bocconi University
IRB Approval Date
2025-07-29
IRB Approval Number
EA001025
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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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