Gender Gaps in Employment Come From Masculine Workplaces

Article here. Excerpt:

'Economists who make the claim that gender employment gaps are due to women’s free choices assume that workplace environments are equally appealing to men and women. But this assumption neglects the concept of masculine defaults, to me, one of the most useful ideas in the recent literature on the psychology of gender. Masculine defaults in the workplace are systems, policies, and approaches to work that are based on traditional masculine norms. In such contexts, masculine qualities such as competitiveness, independence, assertiveness, and risk-taking are rewarded more than feminine qualities such as cooperation, teamwork, modesty, and patience. For example, employees who self-promote and negotiate for raises or positions are more likely to advance and achieve better outcomes in the workplace. Such masculine defaults characterize workplaces everywhere.'