Publications

June 2021
Article

The Role of Beliefs in Driving Gender Discrimination

By: Katherine B. Coffman, Christine L. Exley and Muriel Niederle

While there is ample evidence of discrimination against women in the workplace, it can be difficult to understand what factors contribute to discriminatory behavior. We use an experiment to both document discrimination and unpack its sources. First, we show that, on... View Details

Keywords: Gender Discrimination; Behavioral Decision Making; Gender; Attitudes; Prejudice and Bias; Economics; Behavior; Decision Making

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2023
Working Paper

Scapegoating and Discrimination in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Airbnb

By: Michael Luca, Elizaveta Pronkina and Michelangelo Rossi

We present evidence that discrimination against Asian-American Airbnb users sharply increased at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a DiD approach, we find that hosts with distinctively Asian names experienced a 20 percent decline in guests relative to hosts... View Details

Keywords: Discrimination; Behavioral Economics; Market Design; Health Pandemics; Prejudice and Bias; Digital Platforms; Design

April 2017
Article

Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from a Field Experiment

By: Benjamin Edelman, Michael Luca and Daniel Svirsky

In an experiment on Airbnb, we find that applications from guests with distinctively African-American names are 16% less likely to be accepted relative to identical guests with distinctively White names. Discrimination occurs among landlords of all sizes, including... View Details

Keywords: Discrimination; Field Experiment; Bias; Airbnb; Prejudice and Bias; Race; Accommodations Industry

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September 2020 (Revised July 2022)
Exercise

Artea (D): Discrimination through Algorithmic Bias in Targeting

By: Eva Ascarza and Ayelet Israeli

This collection of exercises aims to teach students about 1)Targeting Policies; and 2)Algorithmic bias in marketing—implications, causes, and possible solutions. Part (A) focuses on A/B testing analysis and targeting. Parts (B),(C),(D) Introduce algorithmic bias. The... View Details

Keywords: Targeted Advertising; Discrimination; Algorithmic Data; Bias; Advertising; Race; Gender; Marketing; Diversity; Customer Relationship Management; Prejudice and Bias; Analytics and Data Science; Retail Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Technology Industry; United States

28 Jul 2020
News

Racism and Digital Design: How Online Platforms Can Thwart Discrimination

December 2022
Article

Different Roots, Different Fruits: Gender-Based Differences in Cultural Narratives about Perceived Discrimination Produce Divergent Psychological Consequences

By: Leigh Plunkett Tost, Ashley E. Hardin and Francesca Gino

We examine whether narratives about, and the psychological consequences of, perceived gender discrimination differ between women and men. We argue that women and men have different dominant narratives about the reasons why people discriminate against people of their... View Details

Keywords: Gender Discrimination; Organizations; Prejudice and Bias; Gender; Perception

December 1990 (Revised June 1993)
Background Note

Price Discrimination

This note, which is introductory in nature, provides a classification scheme for some of the more common examples of price discrimination. For each case that is discussed, the note characterizes the appropriate market segments, the alternative product "versions," and... View Details

Keywords: Price; Segmentation

Educators

10 Oct 2014
News

Ending Gender Discrimination Requires More than a Training Program

Article

They Are Us? The Mediating Effects of Compatibility-based Trust on the Relationship Between Discrimination and Overall Trust

By: Mariska Kappmeier, Bushra Guenoun and Remaya Campbell

The tragic Christchurch massacre brought the dangers of social ‘othering’ to the forefront of public attention. While the extreme nature of the attack shocked majority and minority groups alike, overt and latent discrimination are common experiences for many minorities... View Details

Keywords: Intergroup Conflict; Discrimination; Trust; Prejudice and Bias; Perception; New Zealand

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August 2022 (Revised January 2023)
Supplement

Racial Discrimination on Airbnb (B)

By: Michael Luca and Stacy Straaberg

The (B) case picks up following the events of the (A) case, and outlines the steps Airbnb took to address racial discrimination on its platform. View Details

March 2020 (Revised August 2022)
Case

Racial Discrimination on Airbnb (A)

By: Michael Luca, Scott Stern, Devin Cook and Hyunjin Kim

Facing mounting criticism and evidence of widespread racial discrimination on the platform, apartment rental platform Airbnb needed to decide a path forward. For years, Airbnb had given hosts extensive discretion about whether to reject a guest after seeing little more... View Details

Keywords: Platform Design; Digital Platforms; Design; Prejudice and Bias; Trust; Problems and Challenges

Educators

31 Jan 2023
Cold Call Podcast

Addressing Racial Discrimination on Airbnb

Keywords: Web Services

14 Dec 2015
Research & Ideas

Airbnb Hosts Discriminate Against African-American Guests

Professor Michael Luca and Daniel Svirsky, a doctoral student at HBS. “However, these features may also facilitate discrimination based on sellers' race, gender, age, or other characteristics.” To test for racial View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Accommodations; Web Services

November, 2016
Article

Fixing Discrimination in Online Marketplaces

By: Ray Fisman and Michael Luca

Online marketplaces such as eBay, Uber, and Airbnb have the potential to reduce racial, gender, and other forms of bias that affect the off-line world. And in the early days of Internet commerce, the relative anonymity of transactions did make it harder for... View Details

Keywords: Prejudice and Bias; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Race; Gender

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October 10, 2022
Article

Ensuring Your Products Aren’t Used for Discrimination

By: Michael Luca, Elizaveta Pronkina and Michaelangelo Rossi

Discrimination is both a societal and a business issue. And, the extent to which discrimination is allowed to affect a company is a decision that is made by business leaders. Fortunately, there is a growing toolkit for leaders who want to create a more inclusive... View Details

Keywords: Social Issues; Leading Change; Prejudice and Bias