CEO demographics and gender diversity in senior management in large Scandinavian firms

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether chief executive officer (CEO) demographics are associated with gender diversity in senior management in the Scandinavia region. Design/methodology/approach The research design draws on multivariate cross-sectional analysis. The demographic characteristi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Garcia-Blandon, Josep, Argilés-Bosch, J.M., Ravenda, Diego
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Ramon Llull (URL)
Repositorio:DAU Arxiu Digital de la Universitat Ramon Llull
OAI Identifier:oai:dau.url.edu:20.500.14342/5216
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/5216
https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-12-2021-0379
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Senior management
Gender inequality
Chief executive officer
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Descripción
Sumario:Purpose This study aims to investigate whether chief executive officer (CEO) demographics are associated with gender diversity in senior management in the Scandinavia region. Design/methodology/approach The research design draws on multivariate cross-sectional analysis. The demographic characteristics examined are gender, age and education. A total of six hypotheses are developed and tested. The sample includes the largest 106 public firms from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Findings Results show that firms with female CEOs have more women in senior management than other firms. However, neither age nor level of formal education of CEOs shows significant results, with the exception of CEOs holding MBA degrees, who are associated with fewer women in these positions. Interestingly, the association between educational background and gender diversity is principally driven by study-abroad experiences. Finally, results show that gender diversity in senior management has an important country component, whereas the industry component is negligible. Originality/value The relationship between managers’ demographics and gender diversity among subordinates is a relatively unexplored research issue, as previous works have focused on general comparisons between male and female managers. Furthermore, the Scandinavian context is particularly interesting as this region leads gender equality rankings.