Sex Differences in High-Level Managerial Jobs: Evidence From Professional Basketball

Abstract

We examine sex differences in a market for high-level managers with simple and clear objectives, head coaches in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). We find equal proportions of males and females as first-time coaches, and limited evidence that males inherit slightly worse teams. Also, when hired, males are older and have more experience. Males have slightly higher winning percentages for the first few seasons of coaches’ tenures. Furthermore, we find no difference in survival; it is independent of sex and largely determined by performance. Thus, we find female coaches are not held to higher promotion or retention standards in the WNBA.