Soziale Netzwerke und Arbeitsmarkt
Auf der Suche nach Personal und freien Stellen werden von Betrieben und Arbeitsuchenden unter anderem soziale Netzwerke genutzt. Darunter sind nicht nur persönliche Beziehungen über Verwandte, Bekannte oder den Freundeskreis zu verstehen, sondern auch über soziale Netzwerke, wie durch Facebook oder Xing vermittelte Kontakte. Soziale Netzwerke liefern für Arbeitsuchende oftmals Informationen über den Betrieb bzw. umgekehrt für die Unternehmen Informationen über Bewerber*innen, die über herkömmliche Rekrutierungs- und Suchkanäle (z.B. Stellenanzeige, Bewerbungsunterlagen) nicht oder nur schwer zugänglich sind.
In dem Themendossier ist wissenschaftliche Literatur zur Bedeutung und zum Nutzen sozialer Netzwerke bei der Personal- und Arbeitsplatzsuche zusammengestellt.
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Literaturhinweis
Being Your Own Boss: Network Determinants of Young People’s Orientations Towards Self-Employment (2025)
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Vacchiano, Mattia, Vera de Bel & Eric Widmer (2025): Being Your Own Boss: Network Determinants of Young People’s Orientations Towards Self-Employment. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 176, H. 1, S. 195-217. DOI:10.1007/s11205-024-03443-3
Abstract
"Young people today are expected to navigate their precarious careers in an entrepreneurial way. Self-employment is gaining ground on wage labor as one attractive strategy for winning the battle with precariousness. From Granovetter’s studies to the present day, one of the most prolific lines of research on the factors influencing the strategies of job insertion emphasizes the key importance of personal networks. Based on social capital theory, this article tests (1) whether the composition of young people’s personal networks is associated with their desire to move towards independent careers; and (2) whether, among the mechanisms associated with this orientation, there is the ability to mobilize contacts’ resources, for example, avoiding conflict and exploiting different forms of social support. Analyzing data on the personal networks of a sample of 7827 young people in Switzerland, our results show that the orientation towards self-employment is more likely for those who access contacts with an unfavourable position in the labor market, such as people with lower educational levels and a foreign background. Although receiving social support plays a role, our results show that, for young people wishing to become self-employed, an even more important predictor is the presence of conflicts in their networks. In the context of the precarization of young people’s labour pathways, these results suggest that self-employment can serve as a coping strategy for the most vulnerable, as well as an escape from difficult relationships." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The Role of Referrals in Immobility, Inequality, and Inefficiency in Labor Markets (2024)
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Bolte, Lukas, Matthew O. Jackson & Nicole Immorlica (2024): The Role of Referrals in Immobility, Inequality, and Inefficiency in Labor Markets. In: Journal of labor economics, S. 1-76. DOI:10.1086/733048
Abstract
"We study the consequences of job markets’ heavy reliance on referrals. Referrals lead to more opportunities for workers to be hired, which lead to better matches andincreased productivity, but also disadvantage job-seekers with few or no connections to employed workers, increasing inequality. Coupled with homophily, referrals also lead to immobility. We identify conditions under which distributing referrals more evenly reduces inequality and improves future productivity and mobility. We use the model to examine the short and long-run welfare impacts of policies such as affirmative actionand algorithmic fairness." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Linked Employer–Employee Data from XING and the Mannheim Enterprise Panel (2024)
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Breithaupt, Patrick, Hanna Hottenrott, Christian Rammer & Konstantin Römer (2024): Linked Employer–Employee Data from XING and the Mannheim Enterprise Panel. In: Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik. DOI:10.1515/jbnst-2024-0070
Abstract
"The availability of social media data is growing and represents a new data source for economic research. This paper presents a detailed study on the use of data from a career-oriented social networking platform. The employment data are exported from user profiles and linked to the Mannheim Enterprise Panel (MUP). The linked employer–employee (LEE) data consist of 14 million employments for 1.5 million employers and describes around 9 million employee flows. Plausibility checks confirm that career-oriented social networking data contain valuable information about employments and employee flows. Using such platform data provides opportunities for research on employee mobility, networks, and local ecosystems’ role in economic performance at the employer and the regional level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The Distribution of Social Capital across Individuals and its Relationship to Income (2024)
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Corinth, Kevin, Thomas O'Rourke & Scott Winship (2024): The Distribution of Social Capital across Individuals and its Relationship to Income. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17257), Bonn, 59 S.
Abstract
"There have been several attempts to measure social capital—the value inhering in relationships—at an aggregate level, but researchers lack comprehensive individual-level social capital measures. Using a combination of direct linkage and imputation across several nationally representative datasets, we produce a comprehensive measure of social capital at the individual level. We validate our measure by aggregating it to the state level, finding strong correlations with existing state-level social capital measures. We document substantial social capital disparities between white Americans, on the one hand, and black and Hispanic Americans, on the other, as well as a strong educational gradient, which is comparatively weaker for Hispanics. We also provide new evidence on the relationship between income and social capital, using a comprehensive measure of income. We find that social capital increases with income but at a decreasing rate. The source of income matters, as an extra $10,000 in market income is associated with a 0.23 standard deviation increase in social capital for those with the lowest levels of market income, while an extra $10,000 in government transfer income is associated with a 0.08 standard deviation decrease." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Wer neben dem Studium mit den „richtigen“ Kollegen jobbt, kann die beruflichen Startchancen vielfach verbessern (2024)
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Demir, Gökay, Friederike Hertweck, Malte Sandner & Ipek Yükselen (2024): Wer neben dem Studium mit den „richtigen“ Kollegen jobbt, kann die beruflichen Startchancen vielfach verbessern. In: IAB-Forum H. 14.10.2024. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20241014.01
Abstract
"Netzwerke spielen eine bedeutende Rolle in der Arbeitswelt: Oft bilden sie die Grundlage für die persönliche und fachliche Weiterentwicklung und somit für den beruflichen Erfolg. So können gerade junge Akademiker*innen bei ihrem Einstieg in den Beruf unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen von beruflichen Kontakten profitieren, die sie während eines Studentenjobs geknüpft haben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Professional networks and the labour market assimilation of immigrants (2024)
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Engdahl, Mattias, Sébastien Willis & Olof Åslund (2024): Professional networks and the labour market assimilation of immigrants. (Working papers / Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy 2024,9), Uppsala, 41 S.
Abstract
"We study how professional networks are related to immigrant labor market integration. Matched employer-employee data for Sweden show that networks grow with time in the host country and that their composition changes from immigrant toward native network members. A firm-dyadic analysis of re-employment of displaced workers suggests that conational connections have a much larger positive effect than native connections. However, the employment effect of native connections grows with years since migration. Furthermore, native connections tend to be associated with higher earnings and increased hires in connected local industries. After 20 years in Sweden, the built-up connections raise immigrant re-employment rates by 0.7 to 1.1 percentage points, amounting to 10–20 percent of the observed difference by years since migration. Our findings indicate complete assimilation in the total productivity of professional connections for displaced workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Social media and hiring: a survey experiment on discrimination based on online social class cues (2024)
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Galos, Diana Roxana (2024): Social media and hiring: a survey experiment on discrimination based on online social class cues. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 40, H. 1, S. 116-128. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcad012
Abstract
"Discrimination based on social class is challenging to study, and therefore likely to be underappreciated due to its subtle nature. Social class is often difficult to gauge from traditional resumes, yet, the expansion of social networking platforms provides employers with an additional source of information. Given that many individuals have a social media presence today, employers can increasingly rely on additional information gleaned from such online platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram), which may alter hiring decisions. To study the role of social networking platforms vis-à-vis potential discrimination based on social class cues, I leverage an original online survey experiment in the United States. The aim of the investigation is (i) to measure the effect of cultural markers of social class expressed on social media profiles in a hypothetical hiring situation and (ii) to analyse potential channels that might explain class-based discrimination. I show that subjects favour the upper-class-signalling candidate over the lower-class-signalling candidate and that perceived competence and perceived warmth are two channels through which class-based discrimination may occur. The individual’s online presence might not be part of the formal application process, yet it seems to shape inferences about individuals’ employability, competence, and warmth." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Coworker networks and the labor market outcomes of displaced workers: Evidence from Portugal (2024)
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Garcia-Louzao, Jose & Marta Silva (2024): Coworker networks and the labor market outcomes of displaced workers: Evidence from Portugal. In: Industrial Relations, Jg. 63, H. 3, S. 389-413. DOI:10.1111/irel.12348
Abstract
"The use of social contacts in the labor market is widespread. This paper investigates the association between personal connections and hiring probabilities as well as re-employment outcomes of displaced workers in Portugal. The hiring analysis indicates that displaced workers with a direct link to a firm through a former coworker are three times more likely to be hired compared to workers displaced from the same closing event who lack such a tie. Moreover, we show that successful displaced workers with a connection in the hiring firm have higher entry-level wages and enjoy greater job security." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Coworker Networks from Student Jobs: A Flying Start at Labor Market Entry? (2024)
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Gökay, Demir, Friederike Hertweck, Malte Sandner & Ipek Yükselen (2024): Coworker Networks from Student Jobs: A Flying Start at Labor Market Entry? (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17541), Bonn, 34 S.
Abstract
"This paper analyzes the impact of college students’ coworker networks formed during student jobs on their labor market outcomes after graduation. For our analysis, we use novel data that links students’ administrative university records with their pre- and postgraduation employment registry data and their coworker networks. Our empirical strategy exploits variation in the timing and duration of student jobs, controlling for a variety of individual and network characteristics, as well as firm-by-occupation fixed effects, eliminating potential selection bias arising from non-random entry into student jobs and networks. The results show that students who work alongside higher-earning coworkers during their student jobs earn higher wages in their first post-graduation employment. Two key mechanisms appear to drive this effect: (1) sorting into higher-paying firms after graduation, facilitated by coworker referrals, and (2) enhanced field-specific human capital through exposure to skilled colleagues. However, the initial wage advantage from higherearning coworker networks diminishes over time as students with worse networks catch up. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how early career networks shape labor market outcomes and facilitate a smoother transition from higher education to graduate employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Ähnliche Treffer
auch erschienen als: Ruhr economic papers, 1127 -
Literaturhinweis
Coworker Networks from Student Jobs: A Flying Start at Labor Market Entry? (2024)
Zitatform
Gökay, Demir, Friederike Hertweck, Malte Sandner & Ipek Yükselen (2024): Coworker Networks from Student Jobs: A Flying Start at Labor Market Entry? (Ruhr economic papers 1127), Essen, 31 S. DOI:10.4419/96973309
Abstract
"In diesem Beitrag wird untersucht, wie sich die während Studentenjobs gebildeten Netzwerke auf den Arbeitsmarkteintritt von Studierenden nach Abschluss des Studiums auswirken. Für unsere Analyse verwenden wir eine neuartige Datenverknüpfung aus administrativen Universitätsdaten von Studierenden und Sozialversicherungsdaten der Studierenden sowie all ihrer Kolleginnen und Kollegen während der Studentenjobs. Unsere empirische Strategie nutzt Variationen im Zeitpunkt und in der Dauer der Studentenjobs und kontrolliert für eine Vielzahl von individuellen und Netzwerk-Charakteristika sowie für fixe Effekte zu Unternehmen und der Berufsgruppe, um mögliche Verzerrungen zu eliminieren, die sich aus der nicht zufälligen Selektion der Studierenden in bestimmte Studentenjobs und Netzwerke ergeben. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Studierende, die während ihrer Studentenjobs mit besser verdienenden Kollegen zusammenarbeiten, in ihrer ersten Anstellung nach dem Studium höhere Löhne erzielen. Zwei Mechanismen scheinen für diesen Effekt verantwortlich zu sein: (1) Sortierung der Studierenden in besser zahlende Unternehmen nach dem Abschluss (unterstützt durch Empfehlungen ehemaliger Kolleginnen und Kollegen) und (2) verbessertes fachspezifisches Humankapital durch den Kontakt mit qualifizierten Kolleginnen und Kollegen während des Studentenjobs. Der anfängliche Lohnvorteil durch die besser verdienenden Netzwerke nimmt jedoch im Laufe der Zeit ab, da Studierende mit schlechteren Netzwerken aufholen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Start-ups und soziale Herkunft: Was Gründer:innen prägt und antreibt (2024)
Hirschfeld, Alexander; Walk, Vanusch; Gilde, Jannis; Ansorge, Mia;Zitatform
Hirschfeld, Alexander, Jannis Gilde, Vanusch Walk & Mia Ansorge (2024): Start-ups und soziale Herkunft. Was Gründer:innen prägt und antreibt. Gütersloh, 23 S. DOI:10.11586/2024058
Abstract
"Jeder Mensch hat eine soziale Herkunft. Bildungshintergrund in der Familie und materielles Erbe bilden diese Diversity Dimension. Im Bildungssektor ist längst untersucht, wie sich die soziale Herkunft auf den eigenen Bildungserfolg auswirkt, für den Gründungssektor bietet diese Studie erstmalig Daten zur sozialen Herkunft von Start-up Gründer:innen in Deutschland. Neben den Rollenvorbildern hat die eigene Herkunft auch Auswirkungen auf finanzielle Unterstützung, die Gründende erwarten können. So unterschiedlich die Startpositionen sind, zeigt sich in er Studie auch eine klare Parallele: Unabhängig von der sozialen Herkunft wollen die allermeisten Gründer:innen nach der aktuellen Gründung wieder ein Startup aufbauen. Auch beim Thema Mindset und der Bereitschaft, groß zu denken, zeigen sich zwischen den Gruppen kaum Unterschiede." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
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Literaturhinweis
Soziale Netzwerke und Arbeitsmarktprozesse (2024)
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Kropp, Per & Gerhard Krug (2024): Soziale Netzwerke und Arbeitsmarktprozesse. In: C. Stegbauer & R. Häußling (Hrsg.) (2024): Handbuch Netzwerkforschung, S. 1-14, 2024-01-15. DOI:10.1007/978-3-658-37507-2_56-1
Abstract
"Bestimmte Netzwerkeigenschaften, aber auch die institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen auf einem Arbeitsmarkt beeinflussen die Bedeutung von Netzwerken bei der Arbeitsplatzsuche und bei der Stellenbesetzung. Insgesamt zeigen der knappe Überblick zum Forschungsstand und eigene Analysen, dass Granovetters Thesen zur Bedeutung von Netzwerken zwar vielfältige Forschung angeregt haben, sich aber nur partiell bestätigen lassen. Netzwerke können die Job-Suche erleichtern, indem sie Zugang zu nicht offensichtlichen Informationen über Arbeitsplätze bieten, oder sie öffnen über Empfehlungen den Weg auf eine bestimmte Position. Indirekt wirken sozialer Ressourcen zum Beispiel durch emotionale Unterstützung oder weil eine bessere Marktübersicht fundierterer Entscheidungen erlaubt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Springer)
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Literaturhinweis
Social capital, job search and labor market outcomes (2024)
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Krug, Gerhard (2024): Social capital, job search and labor market outcomes. In: S. McDonald, R. Côté & J. Shen (Hrsg.) (2024): The Handbook on Inequality and Social Capital, 2023-02-01. DOI:10.4337/9781802202373.00034
Abstract
"This chapter gives an overview of the role of social capital in job search. Based on the conceptual distinction between accessed, activated and mobilized social capital, the author first posits a theoretical model of how social capital relates to individuals’ job search behavior and shapes labor market outcomes. This model is used to specify the contributions of a variety of empirical studies from disciplines such as sociology, labor market economics and social psychology to the social capital literature. The author also reviews empirical studies on employers’ use of social capital and social networks and studies on the role of personal contacts as intermediaries between job seekers and employers seeking to fill a vacancy. The chapter concludes with a discussion of frequently encountered methodological problems in research on social capital and job search and of possible directions for future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Elgar) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Filling talent shortages with foreign students? Understanding foreign exchange students' willingness to work for host-country organizations (2024)
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Liu, Ni, Fabian Jintae Froese, Vesa Peltokorpi & Jiaojiao Feng (2024): Filling talent shortages with foreign students? Understanding foreign exchange students' willingness to work for host-country organizations. In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 35, H. 15, S. 2447-2474. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2024.2342297
Abstract
"Foreign exchange students can serve as a valuable talent pool for host-country organizations. This study draws on the ability-motivation-opportunity framework and the intergroup contact theory to examine how foreign exchange students' motivation to study abroad, host-country language ability, and direct and indirect contact opportunities with host-country nationals are related to their willingness to work for host-country organizations. Data were collected from a multi-wave survey of 167 foreign exchange students in Germany. Providing support for our hypotheses, the results suggest that foreign exchange students' motivation to study abroad was positively related to direct contact opportunities (e.g. interacting with locals). Further, exchange students' host-country language ability was positively related to indirect contact opportunities (e.g. visiting cultural sights), which in turn was positively related to their willingness to work for host-country organizations. Opportunities for direct interpersonal contact were not significantly related to willingness to work for host-country organizations. The results also show two-way and three-way interactions among host-country ability, motivation to study abroad, and indirect contact opportunities in predicting exchange students' willingness to work for host-country organizations. Implications for theory, management practice, and policymaking are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Party On: The Labor Market Returns to Social Networks in Adolescence (2024)
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Lleras-Muney, Adriana, Matthew Miller, Shuyang Sheng & Veronica Sovero (2024): Party On: The Labor Market Returns to Social Networks in Adolescence. In: Journal of labor economics, S. 1-32. DOI:10.1086/731308
Abstract
"We investigate the returns to adolescent friendships on earnings in adulthood using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Because both education and friendships are jointly determined in adolescence, OLS estimates of their returns are likely biased. We implement a novel procedure to obtain bounds on the causal returns to friendships: we assume that the returns to schooling range from 5 to 15% (based on prior literature), and instrument for friendships using similarity in age among peers. Having one more friend in adolescence increases earnings between 7and 14%, substantially more than OLS estimates would suggest." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Social capital exchanges in voluntary associations and work organizations: A network perspective (2023)
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Au, Anson (2023): Social capital exchanges in voluntary associations and work organizations: A network perspective. In: Sociology Compass, Jg. 17, H. 1. DOI:10.1111/soc4.13031
Abstract
"Organizations have been an important setting in which social capital exchanges (SCEs) occur, but little work has been done to distinguish two predominant species of organizations in the social network literature: voluntary associations and formal work organizations. Addressing this lacuna, this article comparatively examines how the two organizational species differ in (1) how two prominent types of SCEs operate (restricted and generalized exchange), as well as (2) the analytical approaches and methodological tools for studying SCEs (boundary-specification, sampling, network designs, tie-recording methods) and their adherent implications for network structure (networking conditions and homophily). This article concludes by identifying methodological and theoretical challenges for studying SCEs in organizations (conceptualizing organizations as units, underappreciating meaning-making and methodological triangulation, and examining contagion in organizational networks in an age of digitalization) and developing recommendations for overcoming them." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Escaping from low-wage employment: The role of co-worker networks (2023)
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Baranowska-Rataj, Anna, Zoltán Elekes & Rikard Eriksson (2023): Escaping from low-wage employment: The role of co-worker networks. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 83. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2022.100747
Abstract
"Low-wage jobs are often regarded as dead ends in the labour market careers of young people. Previous research focused on disentangling to what degree the association between a low-wage job at the start of working life and limited chances of transitioning to better-paid employment is causal or spurious. Less attention has been paid to the factors that may facilitate the upward wage mobility of low-wage workers. We focus on such mechanisms, and we scrutinize the impact of social ties to higher-educated co-workers. Due to knowledge spillovers, job referrals, as well as firm-level productivity gains, having higher-educated co-workers may improve an individual's chances of transitioning to a better-paid job. We use linked employer-employee data from longitudinal Swedish registers and panel data models that incorporate measures of low-wage workers' social ties to higher-educated co-workers. Our results confirm that having social ties to higher-educated co-workers increases individual chances of transitioning to better-paid employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The Old Boys' Club: Schmoozing and the Gender Gap (2023)
Cullen, Zoë; Perez-Truglia, Ricardo;Zitatform
Cullen, Zoë & Ricardo Perez-Truglia (2023): The Old Boys' Club: Schmoozing and the Gender Gap. In: The American economic review, Jg. 113, H. 7, S. 1703-1740. DOI:10.1257/aer.20210863
Abstract
"Offices are social places. Employees and managers take breaks together and talk about family and hobbies. In this study, we show that employees' social interactions with their managers can be advantageous for their careers, and that this phenomenon contributes to the gender pay gap. We use administrative and survey data from a large financial institution and exploit quasi-random variation induced by the rotation of managers. We provide evidence that when employees have more face-to-face interactions with their managers, they are promoted at a higher rate. This mechanism could explain a third of the gender gap in promotions at this firm." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Young people's job-search strategies in the German apprenticeship market: Who relies on referrals by strong ties and why? (2023)
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Flohr, Matthias & Paula Protsch (2023): Young people's job-search strategies in the German apprenticeship market: Who relies on referrals by strong ties and why? In: Acta sociologica, Jg. 66, H. 2, S. 191-209. DOI:10.1177/00016993221115544
Abstract
"Social capital is often regarded as an important resource when searching for a job. However, unlike in the general labor market, in youth labor markets, leveraging network contacts does not necessarily enhance young people’s chances compared to formal job-search methods. Who then uses referrals by strong ties to support their school-to-work transitions? Drawing on the German National Educational Panel Study, we focus on noncollege-bound students searching for apprenticeship places. We investigate whether parental referrals are more likely to be used as a compensation strategy for limited opportunities due to regional conditions and lower levels of schooling and whether this search strategy entails a trade-off in terms of higher dropout risks. Our results indicate that in regions with poor regional labor market conditions, young people use parental referrals more often and also increasingly find apprenticeship places via referrals. Moreover, using referrals does not result in higher dropout risks. Lower-educated school leavers are also more likely to use referrals but they do not benefit from this search channel more than higher-educated youth. We conclude that social contacts can at least partly compensate for poor opportunities due to regional market conditions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
University peers and career prospects: The impact of university ties on early labor market outcomes (2023)
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Ilyés, Virág & Anna Sebők (2023): University peers and career prospects: The impact of university ties on early labor market outcomes. In: Economics of Education Review, Jg. 96. DOI:10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102456
Abstract
"By using extensive Hungarian administrative data, this study aims to provide empirical evidence that former university ties strongly influence the labour market outcomes of individuals, even early in their careers. The estimates focus on the early career paths of graduates who obtained a master's degree between 2010 and 2017. As direct information on social contacts is not available in the dataset, we proxy university peers as students who started and finished the same university programmes (bachelor's or master's) in the same semester. Our results suggest that individuals are more likely to get hired by given firms if their former peers work there. The measured effects are considered significant and quite robust, even after controlling for the important sources of potential bias. Although we cannot present exact proof of the direct help of contacts, we provide suggestive evidence that seems to confirm the existence of such assistance. Our findings also revealed that the measured benefits are mainly attributable to connections from bachelor's studies. The effect of master's peers is mostly driven by the selection of individuals alongside prevalent study track-firm pathways. By comparing entries into new firms with and without peers, we also show that graduates with links have better labor market outcomes after hiring: they earn higher wages, obtain better and more prestigious positions, and stay longer at their new firm. The results draw attention to the importance of university peers in the labour market and contribute to the discussions about the determinants of early labour market success." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))