Boulouta, Ioanna (2013) Hidden connections: the link between board gender diversity and corporate social performance. Journal of Business Ethics 113 (2), pp. 185-197. ISSN 0167-4544.
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Abstract
This study examines whether and how female board directors may affect corporate social performance (CSP) by drawing on social role theory and feminist ethics literature. The empirical analysis, based on a sample of 126 firms drawn from the S&P500 group of companies over a five-year period, suggests that board gender diversity (BGD) significantly affects corporate social performance. However, this impact depends on the social performance metric under investigation. In particular, more gender diverse boards exert stronger influence on CSP metrics focusing on ‘negative’ business practices, such as the ‘concerns’ dimension of the Kinder Lydenberg Domini, Inc. (KLD) ratings . This is because such CSP ratings have the potential to induce higher levels of ‘empathic caring’, which strongly appeals to female directors. Hence, this study reveals further hidden connections in the BGD-CSP link which have important implications for managers, nongovernmental organisations and socially responsible investors.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | board gender, diversity, corporate social performance, empathy, ethics of care, feminist ethics, gender stereotypes, social role theory |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Business and Law > Birkbeck Business School |
| Research Centres and Institutes: | Responsible Business Centre |
| Depositing User: | Ioanna Boulouta |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Mar 2013 15:31 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 17:02 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/6306 |
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