TEC (Theory) Seminar: Lise Vesterlund, University of Pittsburgh

Speaker

Lise Vesterlund, University of Pittsburgh

Biography

Dr. Lise Vesterlund is a behavioral economist and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh, and co-author of the acclaimed 2022 book The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work. Her highly influential work in behavioral and experimental economics shows how gender differences in competition, confidence, and expectations contribute to the persistent gender gap in advancement.

She is also the director of the Behavioral Economics Design Initiative and the Pittsburgh Experimental Economics Laboratory, both at the University of Pittsburgh.

Title

"Gendered Work: Onset and Consequences"

Abstract

All organizations rely on tasks that few people want to do—planning office events, serving on committees, or handling routine administrative work. From “office housework” to more substantial assignments, the work that goes unrewarded, is disproportionately carried out by women rather than men. This talk presents recent research on when and why gendered divisions of labor emerge, and examines how unequal task assignments shape performance evaluations, compensation, and career advancement.