Data and Code for: "Potential" and the Gender Promotion Gap

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Alan Benson, University of Minnesota; Danielle Li, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Kelly Shue, Yale University

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  data 12/18/2025 03:23:PM
  log 12/18/2025 03:26:PM
  output 12/18/2025 03:27:PM
README.pdf application/pdf 309.2 KB 12/11/2025 10:25:AM
config_stata.do text/plain 909 bytes 12/13/2025 08:23:AM
run_all.do text/plain 2.1 KB 12/12/2025 02:45:PM
step 1-prep nonconfidential data.do text/plain 3.7 KB 12/13/2025 08:13:AM
step 2-clean confidential data.do text/plain 9.6 KB 12/11/2025 06:29:AM
step 3-main analysis.do text/plain 86.7 KB 12/11/2025 06:34:AM
step 4-appendix.do text/plain 94.5 KB 12/13/2025 08:20:AM

Project Citation: 

Benson, Alan, Li, Danielle, and Shue, Kelly. Data and Code for: “Potential” and the Gender Promotion Gap. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2025. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-12-23. https://doi.org/10.3886/E237625V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary We show that subjective assessments of employee "potential" contribute to gender gaps in promotion and pay.  Using data on 29,809 management-track employees from a large retail chain, we find that women receive substantially lower potential ratings despite receiving higher performance ratings. Differences in potential ratings account for approximately half of the gender promotion gap. Women's lower potential ratings do not reflect accurate forecasts of future performance: women subsequently outperform male colleagues, both on average and on the margin of promotion. We highlight two mechanisms driving the gender potential gap: strategic retention and stereotyping.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms performance evaluations; glass ceiling; gender bias; leadership; compensation; wage differentials; Peter Principle; wage differentials; role congruity theory; promotions
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      D84 Expectations; Speculations
      J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
      J71 Labor Discrimination
      M51 Personnel Economics: Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 2011 – 2015


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Published Versions

V1 [2025-12-23]

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DDI 2.5

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