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Closing the gender gap in top management teams: An examination of diversity and compensation parity in family and non-family firms

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  • Jain, Shalini Sarin
  • Fernando, Guy D.
  • Tripathy, Arindam
  • Bhatia, Sandhya

Abstract

This study examines gender equity – representation and compensation in top management – in listed family and non-family firms in the U.S. We integrate diversity, gender, and family firm perspectives, to understand how family firms vary from their non-family peers when making strategic choices about achieving gender parity in executive positions. Our empirical analyses confirm that family firms lag non-family firms in gender representation, suggesting they do not fully harness the potential advantages of female leadership. Our novel finding, however, is that family firms are successful in attenuating the gender compensation gap in their top management teams. Our results illustrate how family firms leverage their distinct ‘familial’ features to both preserve their socioemotional wealth and add to their inimitable resource cache, while also being socially responsible on a societal level. This study advances our understanding of the important role of ownership structure in bridging the persistent gender equity divide.

Suggested Citation

  • Jain, Shalini Sarin & Fernando, Guy D. & Tripathy, Arindam & Bhatia, Sandhya, 2021. "Closing the gender gap in top management teams: An examination of diversity and compensation parity in family and non-family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:12:y:2021:i:4:s1877858520301157
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2020.100388
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    3. Martínez-Alonso, Rubén & Martínez-Romero, María J. & Rojo-Ramírez, Alfonso A., 2024. "Unveiling new opportunities: A mixed gamble approach to external search breadth within family firms," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).

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