Advancement of Women

The Advancement of Women research group identifies systemic gender differences in behavior, and points to mechanisms that can be put in place to secure that the best qualified candidates are those promoted.

“BEDI is currently working with organizations to equalize the opportunities given to male and female employees. This is done through institutional changes in how work is allocated and rewarded, and through efforts to develop less biased performance evaluations. Common to many of BEDI’s institutional designs is that they come at limited costs to stake holders and yet reap substantial benefits.”

- Lise Vesterlund, BEDI Director and Advancement of Women research lead, to University of Pittsburgh's Pittwire, October 2022

Representative Publications

Recalde, Maria P. and Lise Vesterlund. 2023. "Gender differences in negotiation: can interventions reduce the gap?" Annual Review of Economics, 15 (1): 633-657.

Recalde, Maria P. and Lise Vesterlund. 2022. "Gender Differences in Negotiation and Policy for Equalizing Outcomes." In: Karagözoğlu, E., Hyndman, K.B. (eds) Bargaining. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Andersen, Steffen, Julie Marx, Kasper Meisner Nielsen, and Lise Vesterlund. 2021. "Gender Differences in Negotiation: Evidence from Real Estate Transactions." The Economic Journal, 131 (638): 2304-2332.

Exley, Christine L., Muriel Niederle, and Lise Vesterlund. 2020. “Knowing When to Ask: The Cost of Leaning In.” Journal of Political Economy, 128 (3): 816-854.

Babcock, Linda, Maria P. Recalde, Lise Vesterlund, and Laurie Weingart. 2017. "Gender Differences in Accepting and Receiving Requests for Tasks with Low Promotability." American Economic Review, 107 (3): 714-747.

Babcock, Linda, Maria P. Recalde, and Lise Vesterlund. 2017. "Gender Differences in the Allocation of Low-Promotability Tasks: The Role of Backlash." American Economic Review, 107 (5): 131-135.

BEDI - Behavioral Economics Design InitiativeUniversity of Pittsburgh4700 Wesley W. Posvar Hall230 South Bouquet StreetPittsburgh, PA 15260bedi@pitt.edu