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Wage Negotiations and Gender Pay Gaps: Exploring the Role of Fairness Attitudes in Europe

Objective

In the EU, addressing the gender pay gap, defined as the difference in earnings between men and women, is a significant policy challenge. Despite concerted efforts, this disparity persists, exhibiting noticeable differences across member states. Recent changes in the European labor market, such as the reduced role of unions and the shift towards individual pay negotiations, may amplify these disparities. Individual pay negotiations increase the responsibility of employees in determining their pay. Men typically achieve more favorable outcomes than women in these individual pay negotiations. Thus, the increasing prevalence of individual pay negotiations in Europe may lead to the widening of the gender pay gap. A vital aspect of this research is the focus on fairness norms in pay negotiations and their impact on the gender pay gap. Prior research reveals that perceptions of pay fairness are often subconsciously skewed against women. This project explores under what conditions pay fairness attitudes develop a gender bias and how they subsequently influence the outcomes of pay negotiations. To investigate this, I will conduct unique surveys across selected European countries, examining the origins of gender-biased fairness attitudes and their effect on negotiation behaviors and the gender pay gap. These surveys will incorporate experimental elements to assess causal relationships. By integrating these empirical studies within a unified theoretical framework, the project seeks to offer a comprehensive understanding of gender biases in pay negotiations and their broader implications for the labor market. In sum, this project tackles a vital gap in our knowledge regarding the gender pay gap, focusing on the influence of fairness norms in wage negotiations. It represents a critical advancement in labor market research and holds the potential to guide future policies aimed at reducing gender inequalities in the workplace.

Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITAET BIELEFELD
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 999 955,00
Address
UNIVERSITAETSSTRASSE 25
33615 Bielefeld
Germany

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Region
Nordrhein-Westfalen Detmold Bielefeld, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 999 955,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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