Overview
Prior to joining the University of Exeter Business School, Dr Edwin Ip worked at BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, where he conducted a series of highly impactful behavioural economics research for industry and government.
He completed his PhD in Economics at the University of Melbourne and his undergraduate studies at McGill University. He is a behavioural economist whose research interest lies in applied behavioural insights and the economics of decision making, fairness and diversity and inclusion. He employs a wide range of methodologies in his research, including experimental economics, applied microeconometrics, microeconomic theory and surveys.
Dr Ip has given expert commentary on panels, national radio, television and newspapers. He has provided advice for government and private organisations around the world. He is currently serving as a board member of the Society for Advancement of Behavioral Economics.
Nationality: British
Qualifications
PhD, MEcon, BA, LGSMD, DipWSET
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Research
Research interests
- Behavioural Economics
- Labour Economics
- Applied Behavioural Insights
Behavioural Economics
I study individual decision making as well as the economics of fairness. In addition, I specialise in the application of Behavioural Economics in industry and government.
Labour Economics
I specialise in the perception and behavioural economics of gender and discrimination among other topics surrounding Diversity and Inclusion.
Applied Behavioural Insights
I am an expert in systematically applying behavioural insights to real world problems. I have worked on a range of topics with government and industry, including, retirement and pension, minimum wage, financial wellbeing and internal compliance.
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Publications
Journal articles
Feld J, Ip E, Leibbrandt A, Vecci J (2023). Do Financial Incentives Encourage Women to Apply for a Tech Job? Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment.
AEA Papers and Proceedings,
113, 432-435.
Abstract:
Do Financial Incentives Encourage Women to Apply for a Tech Job? Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment
We conduct a natural field experiment to test whether offering financial incentives encourages more female job seekers to complete their applications for a tech job. All eligible applicants for the job were invited to perform an online skill assessment. We randomized whether or not they were offered an incentive of up to $10 for completing the assessment. We find no significant effect of the incentive for female applicants (or male applicants).
Abstract.
Ghafoori E, Ip E, Kabátek J (2021). The impacts of a large-scale financial education intervention on retirement saving behaviors and portfolio allocation: Evidence from pension fund data. Journal of Banking & Finance, 130, 106195-106195.
Ip E, Leibbrandt A, Vecci J (2020). How Do Gender Quotas Affect Workplace Relationships? Complementary Evidence from a Representative Survey and Labor Market Experiments.
Management Science,
66(2), 805-822.
Abstract:
How Do Gender Quotas Affect Workplace Relationships? Complementary Evidence from a Representative Survey and Labor Market Experiments
Gender quotas are frequently proposed to address persistent gender imbalances in managerial roles. However, it is unclear how quotas for female managers affect organizations and whether quotas improve or damage relationships between managers and their subordinates. We conduct a representative survey to study opinions on quotas for female managers and, based upon the survey, design a novel set of experiments to investigate how quotas influence wage setting and effort provision. Our findings reveal that both opinions about gender quotas and workplace behavior crucially depend on the workplace environment. In our survey, we observe that approval for gender quotas is low if women are not disadvantaged in the manager-selection process, regardless of whether there are gender differences in performance. Complementing this evidence, we observe in our experiments that quotas lead to lower effort levels and lower wages in such environments. By contrast, in environments in which women are disadvantaged in the selection process, we observe a higher approval of quotas as well as higher effort levels and higher wages. These findings are consistent with the concept of meritocracy and suggest that it is important to evaluate the perception of gender disadvantages in the workplace environment before implementing quotas. This paper was accepted by Axel Ockenfels, decision analysis.
Abstract.
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External Engagement and Impact
External positions
- Board Member, Society for Advancement of Behavioral Economics
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