Career and leadership skill-building for Muslim women in India

Last registered on September 30, 2021

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Career and leadership skill-building for Muslim women in India

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0008231

Initial registration date

September 27, 2021

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 30, 2021, 11:45 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country

India

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Akhila Kovvuri

Affiliation

Stanford University

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Seema Jayachandran

PI Affiliation

Northwestern University

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2021-05-15

End date

2024-01-30

Keywords

Gender, Labor

Additional Keywords

soft skills training, career mentoring, peer learning

JEL code(s)

J24, M53, O12, O15

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Muslim women are underrepresented in management positions in India and often lack the role models and networks needed to succeed in the professional world after college. We study a training and mentorship program that comprises monthly synchronous online sessions covering topics such as resume building, job interview prep, and career coaching, aimed at Muslim women who are in college or are young professionals in India. Through random assignment into the program among qualified applicants, we will evaluate how access to the skill development sessions and to Muslim female mentors affects participants’ self-efficacy and career preparedness. In addition, we will study the effect of peer learning and one-on-one executive coaching on these indicators.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Jayachandran, Seema and Akhila Kovvuri. 2021. "Career and leadership skill-building for Muslim women in India." AEA RCT Registry. September 30. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8231-1.0

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

The intervention involves 12 monthly online synchronous group sessions on career development topics such as resume building, interview prep, and leadership development. The intervention is aimed at Muslim women who are in college or are young professionals. Each batch or cohort consists of about 50 participants. In addition to the monthly sessions, the program also gives participants the opportunity to seek advice from Muslim women who are successful in their respective fields. Program participants are also paired with a peer in their program who acts as their “buddy”. Buddies meet virtually between the monthly sessions and are accountable for each other’s attendance. A subset of the program participants is given access to 3 one-on-one executive coaching sessions where they are given tailored mentoring based on their strengths and career goals.

Intervention Start Date

2021-10-01

Intervention End Date

2023-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

occupational self-efficacy, evaluation of resume and LinkedIn profile, access to networks

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Among qualified applicants to the program, a random subset will be offered the opportunity to participate in the program. There are two other experimental variations in the study. First, for the buddy program, whether a person is paired with a participant with similar versus different industry experience and interests as them is randomized. Second, and also just among program participants, a random subset is offered three one-on-one executive coaching sessions.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

randomization done in office by a computer

Randomization Unit

individual

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

1265 individuals

Sample size: planned number of observations

1265 individuals

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

(1) randomization into program with group sessions: 550 treated and 715 control; (2) randomization into one-on-one executive coaching (from the 550 group session participants): 120 treated and 430 control; (3) randomization into buddy matching (from the 550 group session participants): 275 similar interests and 275 different interests.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB