Professor of Social Economics Klarita Gërxhani was shaped by the rapid changes in post-communist Albania, where she became interested in socially relevant topics and learned to appreciate the importance of multidisciplinary approaches. Her current, mostly experimental research focuses on inequality between men and women and the influence of perceptions and the organization of the workplace on this. For example, her research shows a misperception when employers assess projects in which men and women work together.
Employers give men more credit than women, even when their contributions are objectively equal. She also shows that the frequent focus on competition and status in the work environment is disadvantageous for women, who perform less well as a result, even when they are equally competent. Although there are many opinions about gender inequality, Gërxhani advocates that science takes the lead in further exploring how these differences arise and what changes in the work environment are necessary.