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Gender Diversity in Senior Positions and Firm Performance: Evidence from Europe
Author:
Lone Engbo Christiansen
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,
Ms. Huidan Huidan Lin
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Ms. Joana Pereira
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Petia Topalova https://isni.org/isni/0000000404811396 International Monetary Fund

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Ms. Rima A Turk
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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5321-6524
Series:
IMF Working Papers
Volume/Issue:
Volume 2016: Issue 050
Language:
English
Publication Date:
07 Mar 2016
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513553283.001
ISBN:
9781513553283
ISSN:
1018-5941
Pages:
29
Keywords:
WP; firm; firm performance; industry; share; Gender diversity; senior management; company board; single-manager firm; firms in Ukraine; industry level; performing firm; firm in an industry; Women; Labor force; Personal income; Europe
Legal-disclaimer:
IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.
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This paper examines the link between gender diversity in senior corporate positions and financial performance of 2 million companies in Europe. We document a positive association between corporate return on assets and the share of women in senior positions and establish two potential channels through which gender diversity may affect firm performance. The positive correlation is more pronounced in, first, sectors where women form a larger share of the labor force (such as the services sector) and, second, where complementarities in skills and critical thinking are in high demand (such as high-tech and knowledge-intensive sectors).
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Cover IMF Working Papers
IMF Working Papers
ISSN:
1018-5941
Publisher:
International Monetary Fund