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Welcome on board: A note on gender quotas regulation in Europe

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  • Bennouri, Moez
  • De Amicis, Chiara
  • Falconieri, Sonia

Abstract

Using a diff-in-diff approach, we compare the impact on board and directors’ characteristics of mandatory vs advisory regulations on gender quotas in corporate boards. We focus on the experience of three European countries: France and Italy (mandatory regime) vs UK (advisory regime). Our results show that while the percentage of Women on Boards (WoB) generally increases after the introduction of the regulation, this effect is stronger in mandatory regimes. We also find that the quality of the board, measured by several indicators such as size, busyness, qualifications, independence, generally improves more in mandatory regimes. Finally, we also document that gender quotas have had no effect on the likelihood of appointing female executives and board chairwomen in either regime

Suggested Citation

  • Bennouri, Moez & De Amicis, Chiara & Falconieri, Sonia, 2020. "Welcome on board: A note on gender quotas regulation in Europe," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:190:y:2020:i:c:s016517652030063x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109055
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chiara Pronzato & Paola Profeta & Valeria Ferraro & Giulia Ferrari, 2016. "Gender Quotas: Challenging the Boards, Performance, and the Stock Market," Working Papers id:11411, eSocialSciences.
    2. Kenneth R. Ahern & Amy K. Dittmar, 2012. "The Changing of the Boards: The Impact on Firm Valuation of Mandated Female Board Representation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(1), pages 137-197.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Garanina, Tatiana & Muravyev, Alexander, 2021. "The gender composition of corporate boards and firm performance: Evidence from Russia," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    2. Barbara Pistoresi & Erica Poma & Alberto Rinaldi, 2022. "Gender quotas quotas between glass ceiling crack and firm performance: evidence from Italy’s financial sector," Department of Economics 0211, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    3. Barroso, Raúl & Duan, Tinghua & Guo, Siyue (Sarina) & Kowalewski, Oskar, 2024. "Board gender diversity reform and corporate carbon emissions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Baghdadi, Ghasan A. & Safiullah, Md & Heyden, Mariano L.M., 2023. "Do gender diverse boards enhance managerial ability?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Barbara Pistoresi & Erica Poma & Alberto Rinaldi, 2022. "Gender quota on corporate boards in Italy: spillover effects and financial performance," Department of Economics 0208, University of Modena and Reggio E., Faculty of Economics "Marco Biagi".
    6. Koray Aktaş & Valeria Gattai & Piergiovanna Natale, 2023. "Board gender quotas and outward foreign direct investment: Evidence from France," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(4), pages 1291-1321, November.
    7. Carmen García & Joan-Ramon Borrell & Juan Luis Jiménez & José Manuel Ordóñez-de-Haro, 2024. "Cartels, board gender composition and gender quotas," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 283-320, October.
    8. Filandri, Marianna & Pasqua, Silvia & Priori, Eleonora, 2023. "Breaking through the glass ceiling. Simulating policies to close the gender gap in the Italian academia," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Koray Aktas & Valeria Gattai & Piergiovanna Natale, 2021. "Board Gender Quotas and Outward Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from France," Working Papers 485, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Dec 2021.
    10. Sophie Harnay & Fabienne Llense & Antoine Rebérioux & Gwenaël Roudaut, 2024. "Gender equality within boards: comparing quota and soft law," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 1-35, April.
    11. Fernandes, Mario & Hilber, Simon & Sturm, Jan-Egbert & Walter, Andreas, 2023. "Closing the gender gap in academia? Evidence from an affirmative action program," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(9).

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