I caught some intriguing facts during this morning’s breakfast broadcast, where they featured an episode with Claudia Goldin. One of the topics they covered was related to Goldin’s 2000 research paper, “Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of ‘Blind’ Auditions on Female Musicians.”
Abstract
A change in the audition procedures of symphony orchestras–adoption of “blind” auditions with a “screen” to conceal the candidate’s identity from the jury–provides a test for sex-biased hiring. Using data from actual auditions, in an individual fixed-effects framework, we find that the screen increases the probability a woman will be advanced and hired. Although some of our estimates have large standard errors and there is one persistent effect in the opposite direction, the weight of the evidence suggests that the blind audition procedure fostered impartiality in hiring and increased the proportion women in symphony orchestras.
In the 1970s, symphony orchestras started transitioning to blind auditions, using physical screens during the process to prevent discrimination based on a musician’s gender. Substantial evidence shows that this change significantly reduced gender bias in hiring, increasing the likelihood of women passing junior rounds by 50%, and final rounds by several folds.
Preparing for auditions demands a considerable amount of time and energy, not to mention the associated mental stress and travel expenses. Therefore, the increase in the chances of being hired effectively enhances the odds of the audition process. This improvement motivates female musicians to participate more actively in auditions, making the market more robust and diverse.
However, orchestra work comes with inflexible schedules that involve touring and extensive rehearsals. Consequently, accommodating the need for flexible working hours, particularly for women who may become pregnant, would significantly increase the orchestra’s costs due to the necessity of hiring substitutes. So it’s a tradeoff for the orchestra itself, upon quality of players and their potential future working capacity, as well as reputation, diversity, etc..