BIGFI/Finance Seminar with Pietro Veronesi, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

The Department of Finance and Center for Big Data in Finance are proud to announce the upcoming seminar with Pietro Veronesi, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. 

Pietro Veronesi will present: Self-image Bias and Lost Talent

ABSTRACT: We propose an overlapping-generation model wherein researchers belong to two groups, M or F, and established researchers evaluate new researchers. Group imbalance obtains even with group-neutral evaluations and identical productivity distributions. Evaluators’ self-image bias and mild between-group heterogeneity in equally productive research characteristics lead the initially dominant group, say M, to promote scholars similar to them. Promoted F-researchers are few and similar to M-researchers, perpetuating imbalance. Consistently with the data, our mechanism also predicts stronger and widening group imbalance in top institutions; higher quality of accepted F-researchers; clustering of M- and Fresearchers across different fields; greater imbalance for seniors than juniors; less credit for F-researchers in co-authored work; and established researchers’ false perception that increasing F-representation reduces quality. Policy-wise, mentorship reduces group imbalance, but increases F-group talent loss. Affirmative action reduces both. 

Location:
Solbjerg Plads 3
2000 Frederiksberg
Room: SPs03