Invited to the party but not allowed to dance? Examining strategic decision-making inclusion of top female executives

Abstract

PurposeThe gender diversity of top management teams (TMTs) is slowly increasing. Research shows that top executives influence firms through their role in strategic decision-making but that executives are not equally engaged in it. The purpose of this paper is to understand whether gender affects the likelihood of inclusion in strategic decision-making.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on surveys completed by chief executive officers (CEOs) and using expectation states and gender roles theories, the author examines the relationship between gender and inclusion in strategic decision-making for 266 top executives of global public firms.FindingsAfter controlling for a myriad of factors, results indicate that female executives are less likely than male executives to be included in strategic decision-making. Firm tenure moderates this effect such that it leads to a greater likelihood of inclusion for female executives but not male executives.Originality/valueThis study provides a unique consideration of strategic decision-making in TMTs. The findings suggest that diversity and inclusion do not always go hand in hand and that female executives may need to prove themselves more than male executives to be given an equal voice in the strategic direction of the firm.