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A women’s boom in the boardroom: effects on performance?

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  • Mareva Sabatier

    (IREGE - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et en Economie - USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry] - Université Savoie Mont Blanc)

Abstract

This article analyzes whether improving gender diversity in boardrooms improves firms' economic performance. In the context of French CAC40-listed companies between 2008 and 2012, this research uses instrumental variable panel regressions, including production frontier estimates, to arrive at two key results. First, gender diversity in boards depends on firms' attributes, including their previous gender promotion strategies. Second, promoting women in boardrooms has a significant and positive effect on economic performance, after accounting for the endogeneity of diversity. Gender diversity even reduces corporate inefficiencies and enables firms to come closer to their optimal performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Mareva Sabatier, 2015. "A women’s boom in the boardroom: effects on performance?," Post-Print hal-01158917, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01158917
    DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2015.1008774
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/hal-01158917
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    Cited by:

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    2. Daeyoun Won & Bon‐Gang Hwang & Soo Jing Chng, 2021. "Assessing the effects of workforce diversity on project productivity performance for sustainable workplace in the construction industry," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 398-418, March.
    3. Rebérioux, Antoine & Roudaut, Gwenael, 2016. "Gender Quota inside the Boardroom: Female Directors as New Key Players?," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 1603, CEPREMAP.
    4. Valeria Gattai & Piergiovanna Natale & Francesca Rossi, 2022. "Board Diversity and Outward FDI: Evidence from Europe," Working Papers 491, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2022.
    5. Bennouri, Moez & Chtioui, Tawhid & Nagati, Haithem & Nekhili, Mehdi, 2018. "Female board directorship and firm performance: What really matters?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 267-291.
    6. Joanna Tyrowicz & Siri Terjesen & Jakub Mazurek, 2017. "All on board? New evidence on board gender diversity from a large panel of firms," GRAPE Working Papers 5, GRAPE Group for Research in Applied Economics.
    7. Khine Kyaw & Sirimon Treepongkaruna & Pornsit Jiraporn, 2022. "Board gender diversity and environmental emissions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 2871-2881, November.
    8. Maria Elisabete Duarte Neves & Maria Do Castelo Gouveia & Catarina Alexandra Neves Proença, 2020. "European Bank’s Performance and Efficiency," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, April.
    9. Gattai, Valeria & Natale, Piergiovanna & Rossi, Francesca, 2023. "Board diversity and outward FDI: Evidence from europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    10. Nermeen Shehata & Ahmed Salhin & Moataz El-Helaly, 2017. "Board diversity and firm performance: evidence from the U.K. SMEs," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(48), pages 4817-4832, October.
    11. 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.

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