Women in Top Academic Positions: Is There a Trickle-Down Effect?

Abstract
We study the impact of promoting female professors on future hiring decisions and PhD student outcomes within university departments. We exploit a large-scale natural experiment in Spanish universities that generated exogenous variation in promotions to Associate and Full Professor positions between 2003 and 2007. During this period, the composition of committees overseeing national qualification exams was randomized, and applicants were significantly more likely to be promoted if they were assessed by a committee member with a strong personal connection, such as a colleague, co-author, or former advisor. Drawing on data from approximately 3,700 departments across all academic disciplines and around 3,000 promotions, we find that the (exogenous) promotion of women to Associate or Full Professor does not lead to a subsequent increase in the number of women hired or promoted in the department over the next ten years, nor does it increase the share of female PhD students. However, a higher proportion of female faculty influences gender dynamics in advisorship, the research topics pursued by students, and their subsequent success in academic careers. Joint paper with Manuel Bagues, Milan Makany, and Giulia Vattuone)