Gender bias in the workplace has been a topic of extensive research, particularly in fields like management and economics. However, the impact of gender bias on online platforms has received less attention. A recent study from the University of Notre Dame, led by Yoonseock Son, assistant professor of information technology, analytics, and operations, sheds light on how gender bias influences people-centric operations in online platforms.
The study, titled “Gender Mismatch and Bias in People-Centric Operations: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment,” is set to be published in the Journal of Operations Management. Collaborating with an online weight management platform in Asia, the research team conducted a randomized field experiment to examine how gender biases manifest in client-consultant interactions.
Over a seven-month period, clients on the weight management platform could ask questions via the website’s chat feature, with consultants providing responses and product recommendations within 24 hours. The clients would then rate their experience, allowing the researchers to analyze how gender mismatches between clients and consultants affected their interactions.
Surprisingly, the study found that clients had a more positive experience and spent more on products and services when there were gender mismatches. Specifically, female clients paired with male consultants and male clients paired with female consultants resulted in better outcomes. The effects of gender mismatches varied based on customer actions, such as leaving ratings, purchasing recommended products, or browsing.
Interestingly, knowing a consultant’s gender influenced customer behavior, with clients leaving more and higher ratings, clicking on recommended products, and making purchases. Female clients showed a higher click-through rate regardless of the consultant’s gender, while male clients only clicked more on products when their consultants were female. Purchase rates increased significantly for products recommended by female consultants, with men making more purchases than women in these cases.
The study challenges previous research suggesting that women’s performance may suffer with male consultants, as it found that women may actually outperform their male counterparts in certain scenarios. The implications of these findings extend beyond the weight management platform studied, offering insights for businesses in various sectors, particularly those operating on online platforms.
The study emphasizes the importance of considering gender bias in the design of operational processes, especially in service industries that rely on online platforms. By understanding how a client’s gender influences biases towards employees, firms can improve customer service and overall performance. This insight can be valuable for platform businesses like TripAdvisor, Yelp, Uber, and Lyft, where customer decisions are made before face-to-face interactions occur.
In conclusion, Yoonseock Son’s research highlights the significance of addressing gender bias in online platforms to enhance customer-employee interactions and drive business success. By leveraging gender mismatches and optimizing customer-employee matching algorithms, firms can maximize effectiveness and create a win-win situation for both customers and the company. This study provides valuable insights for businesses looking to improve their online operations and customer experiences.