Prof. Dr. Marina Schröder

Experimental Innovation Economics – The Effect of Written Self-Promotions

In a recent project, conducted together with Nathalie Römer, Marina Schröder analyzes the impact of written self-promotion on decision quality and gender bias. While written self-promotion is relevant in numerous decision situations – including job applications, securing funds for start-ups, or grant proposals in academia – little is known about their effect on decision quality and gender bias. In two experimental studies, one involving a creative task and one involving a math and science task, Ms. Schröder shows that providing decision makers with written self-promotions can slightly improve decision quality and reduce gender bias that stems from in-group favoritism. During her visit at CESifo, she plans to continue working on this project.
Ms. Schröder conducts experimental research in innovation economics. Using novel experimental approaches, she causally analyzes the effect of incentives, group work, knowledge, and other factors on the generation and selection of creative ideas. A second research interest of Ms. Schröder lies in understanding the roots of discrimination and quantifying the desired and undesired effects of affirmative action.
Marina Schröder is a Professor of Innovation Economics (tenure track) at Leibniz University Hannover. Before joining the group in Hannover, she was Junior Professor in Personnel Economics and Human Resource Management at the University of Cologne. Ms. Schröder holds a doctorate in Business and Economics from the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg for a dissertation project entitled: “Experimental Analysis of Anti-Social Economic Behavior“. She has enjoyed research stays at the University of California, San Diego, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Exeter.