Diverse research | 30.04.2025Three new dissertations, three perspectives

How do social skills influence career paths?

Non-cognitive skills are becoming increasingly important in the world of work. But do young professionals possess the skills that will have a positive impact on their career? Economist Dr. Anna Daelen has investigated this question. She analysed German administrative data on men who, based on school enrolment dates, graduated from high school in the year before or after the suspension of compulsory military service.

Time spent in civilian service or the armed forces appears to have a positive effect on income and can shape career choices. Her research also shows that certain personality traits may actually also reduce productivity in the job.

Dr. Anna Daelen, senior researcher in the 'Education and Human Potential' research group. Source: © BiB

"My dissertation deals with the question of how non-cognitive skills influence productivity, careers and wages. After graduating, many people enter the workforce with relatively little practical experience. One exception was compulsory military or civilian service: men with A-levels, who were more likely to serve due to their enrolment dates, tend to earn higher wages later in life and are more likely to work in team-oriented jobs. In short: military and civilian service seem to strengthen social skills. Using the example of management consultants, I also show that perseverance can negatively affect productivity in the job - for example, because persistent people initiate fewer projects and pursue them less effectively."

Dissertation: Essays on Productivity, Personality, and Skills

Part One: Did you serve? New evidence on the causal effect of conscription on wage in Germany

Part Two: Running against Windmills: Costly Perseverance in Long- and Short-Term Goal Pursuit (Abstract)

About the Person: Anna Daelen

What characterises our understanding of gender roles - and how has it changed?

Individual and social ideas about the roles of women and men (so-called gender ideologies) influence decisions about career and family. Sociologist Dr. Leonie Kleinschrot has examined developments over the last 40 years.

Her research focuses on attitudes towards maternal employment, regional differences and the influence of socialisation and family policy. Using data from FReDA – the German Family Demography Panel Study – she shows, among other things, that differences between eastern and western Germany persist - albeit with a declining trend.

Dr. Leonie Kleinschrot, senior researcher in the ‘Family’ research group. Source: © BiB

"In my dissertation, I analysed how the understanding of gender roles has changed in East and West Germany since the 1980s. Today, egalitarian norms are the most widespread - especially among women, the highly educated and people whose parents did not model a traditional division of labour. At the same time, the data show that people in West Germany still hold more traditional views. My findings suggest that equality-oriented policies and awareness about the consequences of the traditional division of labour can strengthen egalitarian norms. In the future, I will investigate whether the understanding of gender roles is relevant to the choice of a particular party."

Dissertation: Gender Ideologies in East and West Germany: Studies on their Nature, Predictors and Trends from the 1980s to the early 2020s

About the Person: Leonie Kleinschrot

How do births influence the agency of women in the Middle East and North Africa?

Despite a sharp drop in birth rates in the Middle East and North Africa, motherhood and marriage remain central to women’s social status. A paradox that sociologist Dr. Carmen Friedrich has analysed: Despite increased educational attainment, women in this region report low agency (power to act), measured in terms of participation in decision-making, financial autonomy and freedom of movement.

Her study shows that parenthood opens up space for manoeuvre for women, particularly in areas where patriarchal norms and limited educational opportunities prevail.

Dr. Carmen Friedrich, senior researcher in the 'Fertility' research group. Source: © BiB

"In my dissertation, I analysed the relationship between fertility and the agency of married women in the Middle East and North Africa. I was able to show that additional births increase the agency of Egyptian women, especially among poorly educated women and in rural regions. This is not only due to increasing household responsibilities, but also to an improved social position within the marriage. I also found that women in Egypt and Jordan with higher agency are more likely to avoid unwanted births, but only if the husband does not want more children. This underlines the importance of targeting family planning programmes at both genders."

Dissertation: Women’s agency and fertility in the Middle East and North Africa

About the Person: Carmen Friedrich