Pursuing sustainability development goals through adopting gender equality: Women representation in leadership positions of emerging market multinationals

Abstract

AbstractThis study examines the competitive disadvantages rationale behind the pursuing of Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) by emerging market multinational corporations (EM‐MNCs) in foreign markets. We argue that EM‐MNCs may pursue gender equality goal in host markets as a legitimation strategy to offset their strategic disadvantages inherited from the home markets. Based on a sample of foreign subsidiaries from 10 major emerging countries from 2010 to 2020, this study finds strong evidence demonstrating that the institutional quality of home markets exerts a positive effect on the representation of women in leadership positions of EM‐MNCs. Additional analyses demonstrate that international experience and institutional ownership further magnify this effect.