Abstract
Existing research about the relationship between gender diversity and performance in cooperatives is not conclusive. In view of this reality, this paper aims firstly to analyse the effectiveness of gender diversity and equality management systems (GDMS) in promoting gender diversity in the decision-making bodies (GDDB) as well as in the performance of agri-food cooperatives. Secondly, the objective is to establish the relationship between GDDB and performance, and subsequently, to analyse the moderating effect of GDDB on three of the business strategies adopted by cooperatives in order to achieve competitive advantages: Integration strategies, internationalisation strategies, and environmental concern, based on a survey carried out in 2018 using a sample of 2489 Spanish agri-food cooperatives. A moderation analysis was conducted to test the proposed model and hypotheses. The results obtained confirm a positive relationship between the implementation by cooperatives of GDMS and GDDB. The relationship between GDMS, GDDB, and performance was not significant. The moderating effect of GDDB was only statistically significant in the case of export intensity (EI) and environmental concern (EC), although, contrary to expectations, this effect was negative, meaning that the impact of both strategies on performance becomes more apparent as GDDB is reduced.
Highlights
Gender equality is the United Nations’ fifth sustainable development goal
Previous studies point to the enhanced competitive advantage that may result from its implementation [36], the non-significance may be due to the fact that many of the measures and policies related to gender in cooperatives have been recently implemented, and it could be argued that there has been little time for their development and consequent effects
It can be stated that having more women in decision-making bodies (DMB) as a challenge of the gender equality objective, which is included in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, has not yet reached a satisfactory level even in the most advanced countries and, despite the progress made, it is still insufficient
Summary
Since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action there has been progress in this field (131 countries enacted 274 legal and regulatory reforms in support of gender equality), yet many challenges remain (as a world average, women are paid 16% less than men, only one in four managers are women, and women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, etc.). Though the gender gap has decreased (especially in developed countries), progress remains insufficient and many inequalities between women and men still persist [1,2]. Cooperatives, by their very nature, which stems from the cooperative values that characterise them, are considered at least in theory to be gender-sensitive. Cooperatives, like other company forms, reflect the broader society in which they operate, and it is not surprising that gender imbalances exist, with low levels of active female participation and underrepresentation in decision-making and leadership positions [4]
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