Anmerkungen:
Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments May 1, 2023 erstellt
Beschreibung:
With a growing focus on diversity within industries and mainstream societal expectations, corporations have a renewed interest in organizing their leadership to accommodate these pressures. The representation of female directors in firm management positions and top executive positions have been a gradually growing topic, with the call for gender diversity only recently being implemented formally in countries in Europe. In order to overview and categorize the different key factors that correlate to female representation and impact on firm board of directors, this article synthesizes current studies on gender diversity in corporate boards, examining the characteristics of women directors, the challenges they face, and the barriers that hinder their advancement in executive positions. Despite growing awareness of the benefits of gender diversity, male-dominated board management and gender biases continue to perpetuate traditional gender roles, often leading to women being appointed to lower-level positions. As more women achieve leadership roles, they face the glass ceiling and glass cliff phenomena, which further limit their advancement and success in top-level positions. Contrary to these obstacles, our review demonstrates that there is no significant difference in long-term financial performance between firms led by men and women, and that increased female representation on boards can even positively impact innovation tasks. We argue that the glass ceiling and other barriers are not justified by a lack of tangible skills among women but rather stem from inherent biases and discriminatory practices. This article highlights the need for a balanced representation of male and female directors, based on qualifications, to foster gender diversity and capitalize on the potential benefits it brings to firms and organizations