Volume 27, Issue 4 p. 1591-1604
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Agents of change: Women in top management and corporate environmental performance

Kirsten Burkhardt

Kirsten Burkhardt

IAE, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

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Pascal Nguyen

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

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Evelyne Poincelot

Evelyne Poincelot

IAE, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France

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First published: 27 January 2020
Citations: 55

Abstract

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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