Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026
11:30
Analyzing the Effects of Stromal Cells on the Recruitment of Leukocytes from Flow
Published on: January 7, 2015
10.7K
Network Recruitment and the Glass Ceiling: Evidence from Two Firms
Roberto M Fernandez1, Brian Rubineau2
1William F. Pounds Professor in Management and professor of organization studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences : RSF
|June 7, 2019
Summary
Network recruitment can disadvantage women due to gender homophily and old boys' networks. However, this study finds network recruitment overall promotes women's representation across all job levels.
Area of Science:
- Organizational behavior
- Sociology of work
- Gender studies
Background:
- The glass ceiling effect limits women's career advancement.
- Network recruitment, particularly through employee referrals, may perpetuate gender inequality.
- Gender homophily and "old boys' networks" can create biased hiring environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of network recruitment in the glass ceiling phenomenon.
- To analyze the segregating effects of network recruitment across different job levels.
- To determine if network recruitment disadvantages women more at higher organizational levels.
Main Methods:
- Utilized administrative data from two companies to analyze recruitment patterns.
- Calculated the segregating effects of network recruitment across multiple job levels.
- Examined the relationship between gender homophily and recruitment methods.
Main Results:
- Network recruitment shows a segregating impact, disadvantaging women more at higher job levels.
- Despite this, network recruitment acts as an overall desegregating force.
- Women's representation is strongly promoted at all levels, though less so at higher levels.
Conclusions:
- Administrative data can effectively address gender inequality and the glass ceiling.
- Network recruitment has a dual effect: it can reinforce existing biases but also broadly increases female representation.
- Further research is needed to fully understand and mitigate the complex dynamics of network recruitment on gender diversity.
Related Concept Videos
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
47.7K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
47.7K
01:28The Looking Glass Self
306
The concept of the looking-glass self describes how an individual's self-concept is shaped by their perception of how others see them. This psychological theory, first introduced by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley in 1902, posits that self-identity emerges in a social context and is influenced by the judgments—real or imagined—of others.Research suggests that individuals frequently overestimate how positively others perceive them. This is particularly evident in physical...
306
02:26Protein Networks
4.5K
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
4.5K
02:26Protein Networks
2.8K
2.8K
02:18Network Covalent Solids
16.1K
Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
16.1K
01:25Network Function of a Circuit
663
Frequency response analysis in electrical circuits provides vital insights into a circuit's behavior as the frequency of the input signal changes. The transfer function, a mathematical tool, is instrumental in understanding this behavior. It defines the relationship between phasor output and input and comes in four types: voltage gain, current gain, transfer impedance, and transfer admittance. The critical components of the transfer function are the poles and zeros.
663