Gender mismatch and bias in people-centric operations: Evidence from a randomized field experiment

Abstract

While considerable progress has been made in understanding gender mismatch and bias in the physical workplace, there is a limited understanding of how these biases manifest in online platforms where gender masking and manipulation can easily occur. In this study, we collaborate with an online product and service firm in Asia and propose a field experiment design to examine how gender bias influences people-centric operations in online platforms. By assigning different gender combinations of clients and consultants, we examine how the effect of gender bias differs depending on the gender match or mismatch of the entities in the information exchange process. Using 7 months of data, we provide preliminary evidence of gender biases of different client-consultant gender pairings. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.