Importance Of Gender Diversity Research Articles

The impact of female board membership and firm performance on the environmental management system

This paper examines the effect of gender diversity on the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) measured as ISO 14001 adoption among Saudi-listed companies. In this study, we propose that female board members significantly influence EMS adoption by employing agency theory, stakeholder theory and resource dependency theory to predict the relationship. The final sample of this study consists of 44 firm-year observations for non-financial companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange with ISO 14001 certification from 2016 to 2019. The logistic regression results show that higher representation of women on boards is associated with more extensive use of EMS indicating the importance of gender diversity in enhancing corporate environmental responsibility. Moreover, companies with better financial performance are less likely to adopt comprehensive ecological management practices. This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by revealing how board diversity is related to financial performance and environment management systems among firms operating in emerging markets. These findings have policy implications for policymakers, business leaders and researchers engaged in sustainable development initiatives to enhance governance mechanisms.

Women on board and business performance

PurposeThis study aims to examine the association between women on board and business performance. It also aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and female directors on stock prices, including the function of female directors in moderating the CSR–market performance link that ultimately provides valuable insights into the impact of gender diversity on corporate boards.Design/methodology/approachData from US publicly listed firms between 2000 and 2018 were collected and analysed using OLS regression, median regression, M-estimator regression and MM-estimator regression at 70% and 95% efficiency. In this study, firm market value was measured through Tobin’s Q, board diversity with ISS database and CSR strength and concern with the KLD database.FindingsThe results indicated that CSR positively impacts market performance by 3.1%, female board representation positively influences market performance by 4.8% and female board members strengthen the CSR–market performance relationship by 1.0% while playing a moderating role. Overall, these studies demonstrated the significance of female boards of directors for enhancing market performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used the data of US-listed firms from 2000 to 2018. The results have contributed to the ongoing discussion about the importance of gender diversity in boards and its influence on firm success. Further research works are suggested to expand the analysis by including other countries or considering additional factors that may influence the association between CSR, board representation of women and market share.Practical implicationsThis study is essential for investors, legislators and CSR institutions in developed countries. The favourable impact of female board presence on market performance and the enhancement of the CSR–market performance relationship highlight the necessity of encouraging gender diversity on boards of directors and CSR activities.Social implicationsThis study emphasises the significance of gender balance on corporate boards in solving important social challenges including climate change, resource scarcity and gender equality. Companies can actively assist in addressing global issues and improving the well-being of stakeholders by promoting gender-diverse boards and encouraging CSR efforts.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study demonstrating that gender diversity on corporate boards moderates the significant association between CSR performance and profitability in the USA. It has contributed to the expanding body of information regarding the moderating influence of female directors on firm value and stronger evidence for female directors in the governance of businesses.

PERCEPÇÕES REFLEXIVAS SOBRE A PRESENÇA DE PROFESSORES NA EDUCAÇÃO INTANTIL: DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS

This paper focuses on reflective perceptions about the presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education, exploring the challenges and perspectives related to this issue. The research seeks to analyze the male presence in Early Childhood Education teaching, its challenges and perspectives, reflecting on how this presence can influence the quality of teaching and the development of children. This is because our hypothesis is to reflect on the importance of the presence of male teachers in the education of young children, considering gender diversity and the construction of an inclusive and equal education. The methodology used in this study is qualitative in nature, based on a bibliographical review and content analysis of articles, books and documents related to the topic. Renowned authors such as Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Carlos Brandão, Heywood and Kuhlmann were considered, who contributed to understanding the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education and to the concept of reflective teaching, which discusses inclusive and equal education. The main references used in this research deal with teacher training, the importance of gender diversity in Early Childhood Education, critical reflection on gender stereotypes and the social construction of masculinity. Also noteworthy are the works of Pimenta and Ghedin who discuss reflective teaching as an important pedagogical approach to encourage teachers to question their practices and reflect on their conceptions. In addition, our study is qualitative in nature and is based on participant research, the data collected from which was also based on the application of a questionnaire to the participants. As a result, we concluded that the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education is fundamental to promoting quality education, under the reference of “reflective teaching”, when teachers are encouraged to develop a critical and reflective stance in their pedagogical practice, contributing to the construction of a more equal and respectful education. However, there are still challenges to be faced, such as deconstructing gender stereotypes and valuing diversity in the composition of the teaching staff for Early Childhood Education, which suggests a time for reflection, which includes other and new perspectives for the presence of teachers in classes of young children.

PERCEPÇÕES REFLEXIVAS SOBRE A PRESENÇA DE PROFESSORES NA EDUCAÇÃO INTANTIL: DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS

This paper focuses on reflective perceptions about the presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education, exploring the challenges and perspectives related to this issue. The research seeks to analyze the male presence in Early Childhood Education teaching, its challenges and perspectives, reflecting on how this presence can influence the quality of teaching and the development of children. This is because our hypothesis is to reflect on the importance of the presence of male teachers in the education of young children, considering gender diversity and the construction of an inclusive and equal education. The methodology used in this study is qualitative in nature, based on a bibliographical review and content analysis of articles, books and documents related to the topic. Renowned authors such as Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Carlos Brandão, Heywood and Kuhlmann were considered, who contributed to understanding the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education and to the concept of reflective teaching, which discusses inclusive and equal education. The main references used in this research deal with teacher training, the importance of gender diversity in Early Childhood Education, critical reflection on gender stereotypes and the social construction of masculinity. Also noteworthy are the works of Pimenta and Ghedin who discuss reflective teaching as an important pedagogical approach to encourage teachers to question their practices and reflect on their conceptions. In addition, our study is qualitative in nature and is based on participant research, the data collected from which was also based on the application of a questionnaire to the participants. As a result, we concluded that the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education is fundamental to promoting quality education, under the reference of “reflective teaching”, when teachers are encouraged to develop a critical and reflective stance in their pedagogical practice, contributing to the construction of a more equal and respectful education. However, there are still challenges to be faced, such as deconstructing gender stereotypes and valuing diversity in the composition of the teaching staff for Early Childhood Education, which suggests a time for reflection, which includes other and new perspectives for the presence of teachers in classes of young children.

Gender diversity in urology scientific meetings: an analysis of the last nine years.

The importance of gender diversity is well recognized. Despite promising change in addressing gender disparity, there remains a significant gap in women's representation in urology. Worldwide, a lack of diversity has been observed at scientific meetings. This study analyses the trend in women's representation at the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting (USANZ ASM) over the last nine years. We retrospectively collected data from eight conference programs between 2014 and 2022, evaluating the trend in the proportion of women represented in various sections. A difference of proportions test was performed to determine whether a significant change was seen from year to year. A significant increase in women's representation was observed, the most significant increase was evident in the last three years, chairpersons increased from 5.9% to 44.1% (P = 0.003), international speakers from 11.7% to 39.1% (P ≤ 0.001), expert speakers from 19.1% to 42.0% (P = 0.002), and total speakers from 19.5% to 34.7% (P ≤ 0.001). Our study shows that a significant increase in the representation of women at the USANZ ASM has been achieved over the last three years. Unfortunately, this increase in representation has not been mirrored in the number of women trainees and training applicants. Additionally, this increase in representation well exceeds the proportion of women who are USANZ members, and is unevenly distributed across topics. A positive change has been observed, the challenge remains in dealing with unconscious bias and balancing the fine line between inclusivity and tokenism.

Poppy Gustafsson: redefining cybersecurity through AI

Study level/applicability This case is meant for MBA students as a part of their leadership/information technology and system curriculum. It is suitable for classes in both offline and online mode. Subject area Human resources management/information technology and systems. Case overview The case discusses how Poppy Gustafsson (Gustafsson) (she), Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer of Darktrace plc, one of the world’s largest cyber-AI companies, is reinventing enterprise security by using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and respond to cyberthreats to businesses and protect the public. Darktrace’s technology leverages the principles of the human immune system to autonomously defend organizations from cyberattacks, insider threats and AI warfare. In addition to leading a cutting-edge cybersecurity company, Gustafsson evangelizes gender diversity at Darktrace where 40% of employees and four C-level executives are women, a number nearly unheard of in the tech sector.The case chronicles the journey of Gustafsson and how she led the company to growth and success. Under her leadership, Darktrace has grown into a market leader in the AI cybersecurity space serving 5,600 customers in 100 countries, as of June 2021. Gustafsson not only redefined the cybersecurity space but also inspired women to pursue a career in the field of cybersecurity. She also collaborated with a social enterprise called WISE to encourage more girls to consider STEM careers.However, along the way, she faced several challenges including growing competition, procuring funds from investors, cybersecurity talent shortage and training personnel. Going forward, some of the challenges before Gustafsson would be to meet the changing cyber protection demands of customers; hire, train and retain highly skilled cybersecurity personnel; beat the competition in a saturated cybersecurity services space; sustain revenue growth; and post profits as Darktrace had incurred losses every year since its inception. Expected learning outcomes This case is designed to enable students to: understand the issues and challenges women face in the field of cybersecurity; understand the qualities required for a woman leader to lead a technology firm; study the leadership and management style of Gustafsson; understand the importance of transformational leadership in management; understand the role of Gustafsson in Darktrace’s growth and success; analyze the traits that Gustafsson possesses as a tech leader in an emerging cybersecurity space; understand the importance of gender diversity in cybersecurity; and analyze the challenges faced by Gustafsson going forward and explore ways in which she can overcome them. Subject code CSS: 11 Strategy.

Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Response to Cyber Risk: Evidence from Cybersecurity Related Disclosure

Cyber risk has become one of the greatest threats to firms in recent years. Accordingly, boards of directors must be continually vigilant about this danger. They have a duty to ensure that the companies adopt appropriate cybersecurity measures to manage the risk of cyber fraud. Boards should also ensure that the firm disclose material cyber risk and breaches. We examine how the board’s gender composition can influence the extent of such disclosure, based on a sample of the companies listed on the S&P/TSX 60 Index over the period 2014–2018. Results show evidence of a positive association between the presence and level of cybersecurity disclosure and board gender diversity. However, the board must boast a critical mass of at least three women before this positive impact can be observed. Our findings contribute to the debate on the importance of gender diversity by adding the concept of the positive influence of heterogeneity on cyber disclosure. We also augment the literature on the critical mass of women in boardrooms by providing empirical evidence that three or more women constitute the threshold for better governance. Our study has important implications for investors, stakeholders and regulators. If investors wish to increase cybersecurity disclosure, they should ask for more diversified boards. Our findings support regulators in their efforts to increase women’s representation on boards by providing empirical evidence of better outcomes with this type of board composition.

Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Financial Performance: Is there an Economic Case in Australia?

The main objective of this study is to understand the relationship between board gender diversity and financial performance. Australia offers a unique context as board quotas are not mandated and the governance code is principle-based rather than rule-based. Corporate firms in Australia are subject to corporate governance recommendations issued by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in 2003. Additionally, ASX diversity initiatives introduced in 2010 require listed firms to incorporate additional recommendations from 2011. The Australian economy is characterised by large resources and financial sectors with each of these two dominated by a few large businesses. The gender pay gap is still considerable in Australia. Given these contextual considerations, an examination of the association between gender diversity of corporate boards of directors and corporate financial performance in Australia is likely to offer additional insights into the debate on the importance of gender diversity in the corporate sector. The sample of firms is derived from the constituents of S&P ASX 300 Index for the period from 2004 to 2016. At an aggregate level, empirical findings provide evidence that board gender diversity is not positively associated with corporate financial performance. However, a closer examination of the study period before and after gender diversity initiatives by ASX and consideration of sectoral differences shows that the association between gender diversity and financial performance varies over time and across sectors. In particular, board gender diversity has a significant positive association with financial performance of Australian firms in the financial and services sectors specifically after the diversity initiatives were introduced by ASX in 2010. In the resources sector, there is no evidence that gender diversity has a positive association with financial performance. This study therefore offers some support for an economic case for gender diversity initiatives particularly in the financial and services sectors.

Board gender diversity and environmental, social and corporate governance performance: evidence from ASEAN banks

PurposeThis study examines the associations between board gender diversity and banks' environmental, social and corporate governance performance in the ASEAN context.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a sample of yearly observations for ASEAN banks over the period 2011–2016. Generalized method of moments (GMM) regression is used for the main models, and the findings are supported by other robustness tests, namely ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and panel models (fixed and random effect regression).FindingsThe findings imply that board gender diversity positively influences corporate governance performance, although it has no impact on the banks' environmental and social performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers insights to regulators, investors and bank managers concerning board diversity and its impact on environmental, social and corporate governance performance. The findings imply that having a specific percentage of female directors on the board positively influences corporate governance performance. However, the impact of gender diversity on environmental and social performance is not supported.Originality/valueFew empirical studies have examined the impact of gender diversity on non-financial performance. This study contributes to the debate on the importance of gender diversity by providing empirical evidence for the impact of board gender diversity on three non-performance measures (environmental, social and corporate governance) for ASEAN banks, a topic not previously examined. There is scant attention to it in ASEAN countries, which have unique characteristics, and there remains a gap in the literature regarding the impact of board diversity among banks in this region. The findings of the study are confirmed by several robustness tests.

Gender diversity on audit committees and its impact on audit fees: evidence from India

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship existing between gender diverse (women directors) audit committees and audit fees.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a sample of 200 listed Indian firms over a four-year period (2011-2014). Ordinary least squares regression is used to assess whether and how the presence of women directors on audit committees affects the fee paid to the external auditor in India. To deal with the self-selection bias, the authors use a two-stage model developed using Heckman’s (1976) method.FindingsThe results show a significant positive relationship between the presence of a woman financial expert on the audit committee and audit fees after controlling for a number of firm-specific and governance characteristics and potential endogeneity with the propensity-matching score analysis. From the demand-side perspective of audit pricing, the results indicate that women financial experts on audit committees increase the need for assurance provided by external auditors. Using interaction terms, the authors find that women with financial expertise on an audit committee have a stronger association with audit fees as entity becomes more complex.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings suggest that audit committees with women financial experts are likely to demand higher audit quality, ceteris paribus.Practical implicationsGender of the financial expert is critical to the audit committee’s effectiveness. The findings of this study have implications for the composition of an audit committee in a firm.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the extant literature by examining the less-researched topic of the association between the women representation on audit committees and audit fees. It also offers further empirical evidence that will influence the debate on the importance of gender diversity in corporations.

Perspectivas da Pesquisa em Governança de Empresas Familiares no Brasil

Resumo Este artigo apresenta as perspectivas da pesquisa em Governança de Empresas Familiares no Brasil, resultantes da chamada desta edição especial da RAC endereçada ao tema. Os dois artigos tratam de temas relevantes no debate acadêmico, a saber: a necessidade de um arcabouço teórico para a avaliação de processos decisórios estratégicos de empresas familiares; e a importância da diversidade de gênero nos conselhos de administração destas empresas. As proposições e evidências elencadas nos dois estudos, relativas aos construtos e variáveis que apresentaram consistência teórica ou estatística, abrem uma nova frente de pesquisa sobre o tema no Brasil, relacionada à conciliação da heterogeneidade da composição dos Conselhos de Administração com a criação de valor em Empresas Familiares.

Does Diversity on Audit Committee Affect Financial Reporting Quality. Some Evidence from Companies Listed on Warsaw Stock Exchange

The link between board of directors, audit committees and financial reporting quality was investigated. Financial reporting quality was measured by the audit reporting lag proxy. Four aspects of diversity were studied: independence, gender, investment fund representatives and international experts. The results suggest the importance of gender diversity in decreasing the audit reporting lag. The presence of investment fund representatives on audit committees increased the audit reporting lag. Our results suggest that two firm-specific characteristics can significantly influence the audit reporting lag, although in different directions. These include the company's size and its capital structure. This study makes its core contribution by empirically illustrating that the diversity of audit committees and the presence of women and investment fund representatives has implications on financial reporting quality. This evidence may be helpful in providing a basis for regulatory interventions aimed at influencing the structure of the board of directors. The results may be helpful for supervisory bodies and regulators, as it provides insight into how the various diversity characteristics influence the financial reporting quality.

Antecedents and consequences of diversity and equality management systems: The importance of gender diversity in the TMT and lower to middle management

Strategic human resource management theory suggests that diversity and equality management (DEM) systems provide a firm with a competitive advantage, leading to superior performance. This study proposes and tests a moderated mediation model focusing on antecedents (i.e. top management team gender diversity) and consequences (i.e. performance) of DEM systems in the context of lower through middle management (LTMM) gender diversity. The model was tested in 248 medium-to large-sized organizations using time-lagged survey and archival data. The findings provide full support for the hypothesis that a gender-diverse top management team is positively associated with DEM systems. The results provide partial support for the following hypotheses: DEM systems are positively associated with performance and this relationship is moderated by LTMM gender diversity; and DEM systems mediate the relationship between TMT gender diversity and performance. We discuss theoretical, research and practical implications.

Returning to My Inner Nerd: Following the "Social" Disruption of Computing

An unusual career trajectory led to the intersection of computer science and social sciencea#x2014;and a new perspective on gender diversity in computing. This is one of five articles providing personal perspectives on gender diversity in computing. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/S8OFA0J7iR4 is a video interview in which Kate Starbird, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design aamp; Engineering at the University of Washington, discusses the importance of gender diversity in computing with Alfred C. (Alf) Weaver, the director of the University of Virginia's Applied Research Institute.

Managing Gender Diversity: Five Secrets for a Manager’s Toolkit

Soft Skills Author Kurt Weiss walks readers through several recent studies about the importance of gender diversity within the industry, the struggles involved, and how supervisors can effectively manage gender diversity in the workplace.