Agents of change: Women in top management and corporate environmental performance
Corresponding Author
Pascal Nguyen
Management Institute, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Correspondence
Pascal Nguyen, Management Institute, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
Email: pascald.nguyen@gmail.com
Search for more papers by this authorEvelyne Poincelot
IAE, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Pascal Nguyen
Management Institute, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
Correspondence
Pascal Nguyen, Management Institute, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
Email: pascald.nguyen@gmail.com
Search for more papers by this authorEvelyne Poincelot
IAE, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
We analyze the influence of gender diversity in top management on the environmental performance of French firms. Consistent with gender socialization theory, which posits that women are raised from childhood to be more nurturing and compassionate for others, we find that firms with more women in top management exhibit higher environmental performance. This result extends those already reported in the literature regarding the effect of gender diversity at board level. We also show that women in top management are associated with several key indicators such as development of eco-friendly products and commitment to resource reduction. Furthermore, we find that the influence of women is weaker in firms with a lower environmental performance and in firms with high-growth opportunities because these firms are likely to prioritize their own development. This suggests, in line with social role theory, that women also adapt into the role that organizations expect from them.
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