If you compare executive pay of men and women in C suite jobs, you will often not find a discrepancy in their wages. You will also be completely missing the point. The gender pay gap exists because it is more difficult for women to reach executive level success. Throughout their career progression, but particularly early on, women face more discrimination than men, and so fewer women are ultimately promoted to the highest level of an organization.

Gender discrimination is one of the recent topics covered by Alex Imas PhD, in his research. Alex is a behavioral economist with a focus on dynamic decision-making. His research explores topics related to choice under uncertainty, discrimination, mental representation, and how people learn from information. 

Most recently, Alex has been the recipient of the 2023 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship which seeks to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise.

Alex’s work on discrimination in the workplace sheds vital light on the cause of the problem which isn’t just found within the hiring process. But before Kurt and Tim discuss this topic with Alex, the conversation kicks off with the fascinating findings that have fed off Robert Cialdini’s founding work - that scarcity drives consumer demand.

It was back in episode 71, that Alex was originally a guest on Behavioral Grooves. And Tim was more than happy to rekindle the initial musical discussion around Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. But Alex also delights us with how the pandemic altered his listening behavior and opened him up to some new favorite bands.

(4:59) Welcome and speed round questions.

(7:!8) How exclusivity can drive demand.

(14:56) Access desire is the key to driving demand.

(16:50) What are Alex’s plans with being awarded the Sloan Fellowship?

(21:41) Integrating behavioral science into the workplace.

(26:17) The latest research on gender discrimination in the workplace.

(32:11) Why looking at salaries for men and women doing the same job is not enough.

(36:20) How algorithms can exacerbate and scale biases.

(40:20) How Tom Waits’ music has inspired Alex to explore new areas of creativity.

(47:38) Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim on discrimination. 

© 2023 Behavioral Grooves

Alex Imas: http://www.aleximas.com/ 

NBER: https://www.nber.org/ 

Episode 355, Want Marketing That’s Effective? Use a Behavioral Science Perspective | Nancy Harhut: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/marketing-using-behavioral-science/ 

Episode 71, Alex Imas: Clawback Incentives and Tom Waits: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/alex-imas-clawback-incentives-and-tom-waits/ 

Alex Imas & Kristóf Madarász (2022) “Superiority-Seeking and the Preference for Exclusion”: https://www.nber.org/papers/w30334 

Episode 226, The Power of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/ 

Benjamin Handel: https://www.benjaminhandel.com/ 

Imas, J. A. Bohren and M. Rosenberg (2019) "The Dynamics of Discrimination: Theory and Evidence," American Economic Review: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57967bc7cd0f68048126361d/t/5cdf2d4c7d1b310001d046fc/1558129997622/BohrenImasRosenberg_DynamicsDiscrimination_January2019.pdf

Episode 293, Women Do Too Much Non-Promotable Work: How To Say No More with Linda Babcock: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/women-do-too-much/ 

Episode 204, How Shellye Archambeau Flies Like an Eagle: https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/shellye-archambeau-like-an-eagle/ 

Tom Waits “Downtown Train”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtZKkCIVmI 

Bob Dylan “My Back Pages”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cF_KCH7TU 

Bob Dylan “Johanna”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwuCF5lYqEE 

Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs “Way Out”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3DXuNH9A0 

The Strokes “Last Nite”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOypSnKFHrE 

The Vines “Get Free”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asOvnGHwtDU 

The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J2QdDbelmY 

Fontaines D.C. “Jackie Down The Line”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AoOfJP3r40  

Bright Eyes “First Day of My Life”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUBYzpCNQ1I