Topic: Gender Differences in Leadership and the Role of Female Role Models - Two Experimental Studies Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China 

Speaker: Professor Wang Xianghong from Renmin University of China

Host: Associate Professor Xia Yiming from RIEM

Time: May 6, 2025 (Tuesday) 09:30-11:00

Location: Conference Room 1211, Gezhi Building, Liulin Campus, SWUFE

Organizer: RIEM

Speaker's Profile

Wang Xianghong is a Professor at the School of Economics, Renmin University of China. She is the Director of the Laboratory of Economic Behavior and Organizations and is an Associate Editor of the English-language journal Economic and Political Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering and English from Beijing Jiaotong University. She is an expert for the World Economic Forum and a member of the inaugural Behavioral Science Council of the Global Agenda Councils. Additionally, she is the Secretary-General of the China Behavioral and Experimental Economics Forum (ChinaBEEF). Her research has been published in academic journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Development Studies, Feminist Economics, as well as top Chinese journals like The Journal of World Economy and Journal of Financial Research. She has received multiple best-paper awards, authored the textbook Behavioral and Experimental Economics, and has led numerous projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Abstract

This lecture addresses a compelling phenomenon: while women in China have high representation in higher education, they remain underrepresented in leadership positions. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, this research adopts a behavioral lens to explore the key factors influencing women’s leadership and shares positive interventions implemented in educational settings. The first study compares gender differences in the emergence and effectiveness of leadership under responsibility-based and authority-based frameworks. The second study introduces female economists as role models to intervene in university classrooms, showing significant improvements in female students' interest in the discipline, self-confidence, and willingness to communicate.