Selected Work in Progress

How does gender shape the structure and efficiency of production networks? Drawing on administrative microdata covering all Costa Rican firms, workers, and transactions from 2008–2019, I uncover systematic CEO gender homophily in supplier selection and quantify its behavioral and performance implications. Firms led by CEOs of the same gender trade more frequently, transact larger volumes, and maintain same-gender ties after leadership changes. These patterns reveal gendered relational capital and reflect underlying social biases rather than productive complementarities. Embedding these mechanisms in a buyer–supplier model, I show that homophilic preferences distort input allocation and reduce productivity. Counterfactuals indicate that removing identity-driven distortions would yield sizable efficiency gains, especially for female-led firms.

The relationship between gender and leadership outcomes has long been debated, yet the specific ways in which female leadership influences firm performance remain understudied. This study explores disparities in firm outcomes following male and female CEO appointments, revealing that female-led firms demonstrate distinct advantages: they become more capital-intensive, recruit higher-skilled employees, and achieve significant productivity gains within three years of a leadership transition. By separately estimating worker and firm effects through a wage determination model, the study investigates whether female-led firms actively prioritize skill and productivity in their hiring practices. Notably, the findings challenge the notion of a "glass cliff," as there is no evidence that women are disproportionately appointed during periods of crisis.

This paper studies how CEO gender shapes hiring decisions and match quality by exploiting CEO transitions to track hires made after appointment. Using matched employer employee data, I document gender homophily in hiring following CEO changes. Leveraging AKM estimates to identify match quality, the analysis shows that CEOs are more effective at selecting talent of their own gender, resulting in higher quality matches and a reduction in within firm gender wage gaps.

(Draft available soon)

Using population-level administrative data from Costa Rica, this paper studies how family formation intersects with access to top executive positions. We show that first childbirth is associated with persistent declines in women’s probability of becoming a CEO and transitioning into executive roles, while no comparable declines are observed for men. In contrast, marriage is associated with improved executive outcomes for men and little change for women, highlighting childbirth as a central moment in the emergence of gender disparities at the top of firms. 

(Draft available soon)

International trade plays a vital role in driving growth for small open economies, yet its impacts through supply chain dynamics remain underexplored. Using detailed data from Costa Rica that links firm-to-firm transactions, customs records, and financial information, this study uncovers how connections with exporting firms can reshape the performance of their suppliers, boosting sales, employment, and productivity. An innovative aspect of the research is its focus on export destination spillovers, revealing that suppliers often follow their export-oriented partners into the same international markets. These findings illuminate the ripple effects of export activity within supply chains, highlighting the pathways through which exporting firms catalyze broader economic growth and enhance domestic firms' integration into global markets.

Cumulative disparities in the criminal justice system disproportionately impact Black and Latino defendants, funneling them into more punitive pathways from pretrial detention to conviction. Using data from Harris County, Texas, this study finds that Black and Latino defendants are more likely to face pretrial detention and harsher outcomes, while pretrial detention increases conviction rates more significantly for White defendants. 

(Draft available soon) 

Using administrative records from Harris County, Texas (2013–2017), this study examines how race, ethnicity, and gender jointly influence pretrial outcomes. We analyze 429,125 cases and apply entropy balancing to isolate effects on bail amounts, type of release, and detention length. Black and Latino men face higher bond amounts, greater likelihood of secured release, and longer jail stays than White men, despite similar or lower short-term detention rates. Black and Latino women receive lower bond amounts and shorter detention than men of any race, indicating more lenient treatment. These results align with focal concerns theory, showing that perceptions of culpability, danger, and social costs interact with racialized and gendered stereotypes. 

(Draft available soon) 

Free Trade Zones (FTZs) are critical economic tools for attracting investment, promoting trade, and generating employment, yet their localized impacts remain understudied. Leveraging rich administrative data from Costa Rica, this study investigates how FTZs influence employment growth across urban and rural areas, focusing on both direct and indirect effects through supply chains. The analysis incorporates nightlights data to explore the effects of FTZs on urban development, alongside methodologies such as shift-share instrumental variables, event studies, and border-pair regressions, to assess the nuanced contributions of FTZs to local labor markets. 

(Draft available soon)