Essays on Computer Use and Gender Inequality

本論文包含兩篇有關電腦使用與性別差異的實證研究。 第一篇(本文第貳章)： 從網路採用、使用與使用模式探討台灣性別數位落差 本研究由網路採用、使用與使用模式三個面向來探討台灣目前性別數位落差情況。利用「台灣個人/家戶數位機會2012年調查資料」，實證結果發現性別在網路採用方面並未存在顯著差異。然而，在修正樣本選擇偏誤之後，本文發現台灣女性網路使用時間顯著低於男性。此外，拆解結果進一步顯示網路使用時間之性別差異有34-47%可被兩者之社會經濟差異所解釋，有48-66%是來自性別特定因素。最後，在其他條件不變之下，本研究之模擬結果發現若網路使用時間之性別差異可以被消弭，女性會有較高的機率使用網路搜尋健康與政府資訊，表示加快網路使用時間性別差異的彌合速度對相關單位而言是重要的。 第二篇(本文第參章)： 電腦使用與性別薪資差異─台灣之實證研究 過去已有相當多的文獻探討工作上電腦使用與薪資之間的關聯，然而，針對電腦使用與性別薪資差異的討論卻是相對較少。本研究旨在分析電腦使用對於性別薪資結構影響的差異，並彌補過去文獻不足之處。利用台灣資料，本研究首先發現工作經驗、教育程度、廠商規模與職業別是影響電腦使用的重要因素。其次，雖然OLS估計結果顯示電腦使用對於男女薪資皆有正向影響，然而，在修正電腦使用可能的內生性問題後，本研究實證結果發現，平均而言，電腦使用的男性薪資報酬率為23%，但對女性薪資卻沒有顯著影響。此結果顯示，在OLS的估計中，女性電腦使用的薪資溢酬是自我「選擇」的結果。第三，應用非條件分量迴歸，本文進一步發現，電腦使用對於低薪資分量的勞工有顯著正向影響，且女性群組的影響效果大於男性群組。此外，無論男女，電腦使用在高薪資分量並沒有顯著的影響效果，此結果說明了電腦使用溢酬在不同薪資分量之間具有異質性。最後，利用Blinder-Oaxaca拆解，本文結果顯示台灣性別薪資差異主要來自於傳統人力資本的稟賦差異與歧視，尤其在低薪資分量的女性，勞動市場對於人力資本評價的歧視情形更為嚴重。此外，電腦使用報酬率與稟賦的差異與對於台灣性別薪資差異的貢獻則是相當小。This dissertation includes two essays on computer use and gender differences. Essay 1 (Chapter 2 in this dissertation): Exploring Gender Digital Divide in Taiwan from the Perspectives of Internet Adoption, Use and Usage Patterns This paper explores gender digital divide in Taiwan from the perspectives of internet adoption, use and usage patterns. Using 2012 Survey of Digital Divide in Taiwan, it is found that gender is not a significant factor determining internet adoption. However, after correcting for Heckman’s sample selection bias, the result reveals that females in Taiwan spend less time on internet than do males. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition results further suggest that the gender gap in usage time is the mixed product of both socio-economic difference, accounting for 34-47% of the gap, and gender specific factors, accounting for 48-66% of the gap. Finally, all else equal, the simulation shows that females are inclined to use internet for health information and e-government as the gender digital divide in internet use is eliminated, suggesting a boost to the elimination of the gender gap in internet use is important for Taiwanese government. Essay 2 (Chapter 3 in this dissertation): Computer Use and Gender Wage Differential: Evidence from Taiwan Although there is a considerable body of literature examining the impact of on-the-job computer use on personal wage, little of them are known about the association between computer use and gender wage differential. In an effort to fill this knowledge void, the present study investigates the differential impacts of computer use on gender wage structures. Using the data from Taiwan, the findings first suggest that working experience, education, firm size and occupation are important determinants of on-the-job computer use. In addition, after correcting for the endogeneity of computer use, it is found that, on average, the rate of returns to computer use is 23% for males while it is not evident for females. This finding suggests the OLS estimates of the returns to computer use for females are biased upward as a result of positive self-selection. Third, by applying unconditional quantile regression, it is found that, no matter for males or females, the returns to computer use are more pronounced for employees at the lower quantile of wage distribution, suggesting the impact of computer use are heterogeneous across different quantiles of wage distribution. Moreover, the result suggests that the females at the lower quantile of wage distribution have higher returns to computer use than their male counterparts. Finally, the result of Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition reveals that most of the gender wage differential can be explained by the discrimination, particularly for those females at the lower quantile of wage distribution. However, the contributions of the coefficient and endowment effects of computer use to the gender wage gap are quite small

Essays on Computer Use and Gender Inequality

本論文包含兩篇有關電腦使用與性別差異的實證研究。 第一篇(本文第貳章)： 從網路採用、使用與使用模式探討台灣性別數位落差 本研究由網路採用、使用與使用模式三個面向來探討台灣目前性別數位落差情況。利用「台灣個人/家戶數位機會2012年調查資料」，實證結果發現性別在網路採用方面並未存在顯著差異。然而，在修正樣本選擇偏誤之後，本文發現台灣女性網路使用時間顯著低於男性。此外，拆解結果進一步顯示網路使用時間之性別差異有34-47%可被兩者之社會經濟差異所解釋，有48-66%是來自性別特定因素。最後，在其他條件不變之下，本研究之模擬結果發現若網路使用時間之性別差異可以被消弭，女性會有較高的機率使用網路搜尋健康與政府資訊，表示加快網路使用時間性別差異的彌合速度對相關單位而言是重要的。 第二篇(本文第參章)： 電腦使用與性別薪資差異─台灣之實證研究 過去已有相當多的文獻探討工作上電腦使用與薪資之間的關聯，然而，針對電腦使用與性別薪資差異的討論卻是相對較少。本研究旨在分析電腦使用對於性別薪資結構影響的差異，並彌補過去文獻不足之處。利用台灣資料，本研究首先發現工作經驗、教育程度、廠商規模與職業別是影響電腦使用的重要因素。其次，雖然OLS估計結果顯示電腦使用對於男女薪資皆有正向影響，然而，在修正電腦使用可能的內生性問題後，本研究實證結果發現，平均而言，電腦使用的男性薪資報酬率為23%，但對女性薪資卻沒有顯著影響。此結果顯示，在OLS的估計中，女性電腦使用的薪資溢酬是自我「選擇」的結果。第三，應用非條件分量迴歸，本文進一步發現，電腦使用對於低薪資分量的勞工有顯著正向影響，且女性群組的影響效果大於男性群組。此外，無論男女，電腦使用在高薪資分量並沒有顯著的影響效果，此結果說明了電腦使用溢酬在不同薪資分量之間具有異質性。最後，利用Blinder-Oaxaca拆解，本文結果顯示台灣性別薪資差異主要來自於傳統人力資本的稟賦差異與歧視，尤其在低薪資分量的女性，勞動市場對於人力資本評價的歧視情形更為嚴重。此外，電腦使用報酬率與稟賦的差異與對於台灣性別薪資差異的貢獻則是相當小。This dissertation includes two essays on computer use and gender differences. Essay 1 (Chapter 2 in this dissertation): Exploring Gender Digital Divide in Taiwan from the Perspectives of Internet Adoption, Use and Usage Patterns This paper explores gender digital divide in Taiwan from the perspectives of internet adoption, use and usage patterns. Using 2012 Survey of Digital Divide in Taiwan, it is found that gender is not a significant factor determining internet adoption. However, after correcting for Heckman’s sample selection bias, the result reveals that females in Taiwan spend less time on internet than do males. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition results further suggest that the gender gap in usage time is the mixed product of both socio-economic difference, accounting for 34-47% of the gap, and gender specific factors, accounting for 48-66% of the gap. Finally, all else equal, the simulation shows that females are inclined to use internet for health information and e-government as the gender digital divide in internet use is eliminated, suggesting a boost to the elimination of the gender gap in internet use is important for Taiwanese government. Essay 2 (Chapter 3 in this dissertation): Computer Use and Gender Wage Differential: Evidence from Taiwan Although there is a considerable body of literature examining the impact of on-the-job computer use on personal wage, little of them are known about the association between computer use and gender wage differential. In an effort to fill this knowledge void, the present study investigates the differential impacts of computer use on gender wage structures. Using the data from Taiwan, the findings first suggest that working experience, education, firm size and occupation are important determinants of on-the-job computer use. In addition, after correcting for the endogeneity of computer use, it is found that, on average, the rate of returns to computer use is 23% for males while it is not evident for females. This finding suggests the OLS estimates of the returns to computer use for females are biased upward as a result of positive self-selection. Third, by applying unconditional quantile regression, it is found that, no matter for males or females, the returns to computer use are more pronounced for employees at the lower quantile of wage distribution, suggesting the impact of computer use are heterogeneous across different quantiles of wage distribution. Moreover, the result suggests that the females at the lower quantile of wage distribution have higher returns to computer use than their male counterparts. Finally, the result of Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition reveals that most of the gender wage differential can be explained by the discrimination, particularly for those females at the lower quantile of wage distribution. However, the contributions of the coefficient and endowment effects of computer use to the gender wage gap are quite small