Objective of this paper is to find answers to the following research questions: 1. Do preferences, and to what extent, lead to variation in labour market success between women and men, within the group of women and within the group of men? 2. Can preferences explain the remaining of a pay gap between women and men? Furthermore, it makes the attempt to test the long-term effect of preferences and their proclaimed stability over the life course, try-ing to find answers to the questions: 3. If preferences persist over the life course and remain unaffected by labour market factors? And 4. If preferences at one timepoint influence the labour market success at the next time point?
Inequalities in labour market success between women and men have often been topic of analysis in the social sciences, attributing differences to various factors like involvement in unpaid work, differences in occupation choice, job characteristics or responsibility for children. A new, but controversially discussed approach, is the so-called preference theory proposed by Catherine Hakim, who sees preferences regarding work and family as the mayor determinant of women’s employment choices in the 21st century.
Proceeding from earlier studies, this paper aims at enhancing the current state of research in three ways. First, in contrast to previous research, which relied on general attitudes to measure preferences, the utilised data set here, allows for the usage of items capturing actual prefer-ences measured as the importance of work and family for the respondents’ own life. Secondly, this study does not only focus on women, but also includes men as a target group, an ap-proach which has been rather neglected in previous research. This offers the possibility to not only analyse differing effects of preferences on labour market outcomes within the group of women, but tests the same for men and further offers the possibility to compare women and men with one another, also with respect to the gender pay gap. Thirdly, this study focusses on Germany which, to my knowledge, was not yet object of an in-depth analysis regarding Hakim´s preference theory and its connection to labour market success. .
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Previous Research and Hypotheses
- The theoretical foundations of preference theory
- Testing preference theory
- Preferences in Germany
- Gender pay gap and preference theory
- Hypotheses
- Data, variables and methods
- Data
- Variables
- Strategy of Analysis
- Descriptive statistics
- Results
- Effect of preferences on women
- Effect of preferences on men
- Comparison between women and men
- Longitudinal Model
- Discussion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to contribute to the current research on individual preferences and their effect on labor market outcomes, specifically in the context of Germany. It explores the significance of preferences in explaining disparities in labor market success between women and men, departing from prior research by utilizing a data set that captures actual preferences and by analyzing the impact of these preferences not only on women but also on men. The study also examines potential differences in the impact of preferences on the gender pay gap.
- The role of individual preferences in shaping labor market outcomes
- The influence of preferences on the gender pay gap
- Analysis of preferences and their impact on men and women in Germany
- Utilizing data that captures actual preferences, not just general attitudes
- Comparison of preferences and their effects across different demographics.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction presents the context of the study, highlighting the significance of individual preferences in understanding gender disparities in labor market success. It discusses the limitations of previous research and outlines the objectives of the paper, focusing on the impact of preferences on both women and men, with specific emphasis on the German context.
Chapter 2 delves into the theoretical foundations of preference theory, reviewing existing literature and formulating hypotheses based on the model proposed by Catherine Hakim. It explores how preferences for work and family can shape an individual's labor market participation and success.
Chapter 3 outlines the data, variables, and analytical methods employed in the study. It describes the specific data set used, the variables measured, and the statistical strategies employed to analyze the relationships between preferences and labor market outcomes.
Chapter 4 presents descriptive statistics that provide an overview of the data, illustrating the distribution of preferences and other relevant variables across different groups.
Chapter 5 explores the results of the analysis, focusing on the effects of preferences on the labor market success of women and men, and comparing the findings between these groups. It examines the influence of preferences on income, service, and other relevant indicators, exploring potential differences in the impact of preferences on the gender pay gap.
Chapter 6 further examines the relationship between preferences and labor market outcomes by employing a longitudinal model, allowing for the analysis of changes in preferences over time and their potential influence on income and other variables.
Chapter 7 discusses the findings of the study, drawing conclusions based on the analysis of preferences and their impact on labor market success. It interprets the results in light of previous research and existing theoretical frameworks, highlighting the significance of individual preferences in shaping labor market outcomes for both women and men.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This study primarily focuses on individual preferences, labor market outcomes, gender pay gap, and the theoretical framework of preference theory. The analysis utilizes data specific to the German context, exploring the influence of preferences on the income and service sector participation of both women and men. It aims to contribute to the understanding of individual preferences and their role in shaping labor market disparities between genders, providing a comprehensive analysis of the impact of preferences on labor market success.
- Quote paper
- Annika Frings (Author), 2018, Individual preferences and labour market outcomes of women and men in Germany, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/507471
