How does gender diversity in top management teams affect carbon disclosure and its quality: Evidence from the technological industry

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of gender diversity in top management teams on voluntary carbon disclosure and carbon disclosure quality in the technological industry. We consider different senior management positions through a “multiteam system” approach. By crossing the MERIT500 and Carbon Disclosure Project databases, we build a sample of 138 technological firms over the 2014–2020 period. The results of the logistic and ordered logistic models show that gender diversity among top management teams can effectively improve voluntary carbon disclosure and its quality and can eventually contribute to achieving the transition to a low-carbon global economy. Our results confirm that women's participation on boards of directors has a positive impact on voluntary carbon disclosure and its quality. Women CEOs and women in top operational management positively influence voluntary carbon disclosure, whereas board chairwomen have no influence on carbon disclosure and its quality. Reaching a 30 % threshold among top management teams positively impacts voluntary carbon disclosure and its quality. Overall, our results support our “multiteam system” approach and the use of critical mass theory to fully measure the effects of gender diversity among top management teams.