Title: Does board gender diversity affect firm performance? The mediating role of innovation on the French stock market

Authors: Riadh Manita; Najoua Elommal; Rey Dang; Camille Saintives; L'Hocine Houanti

Addresses: NEOMA Business School, Rouen Campus, 1 rue du Maréchal Juin, BP 215, 76825 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France ' Research Center, Léonard de Vinci Pôle Universitaire, Business Group, France ' ISTEC Paris, 128, Quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris, France ' INSEEC Business School, 19, Quai de Bacalan, 33000 BORDEAUX, France ' La Rochelle Business School, Excelia Group, 102 rue de Coureilles, 17000 La Rochelle, France

Abstract: Based on the resource dependency theory, this article investigates the relationships among board gender diversity, innovation, and firm performance. Specifically, this article examines the mediating role of innovation, which may explain how board gender diversity is related to firm performance. Using a sample of 120 SBF companies from 2009 to 2012, the results indicate a negative effect of board gender diversity on innovation. In addition, we do not find evidence of a mediating role of innovation within the board gender diversity-firm performance relationship.

Keywords: board of directors; diversity; innovation; gender; corporate governance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2020.104253

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2020 Vol.39 No.1/2, pp.263 - 278

Received: 04 Jan 2018
Accepted: 12 Sep 2018
Published online: 23 Dec 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article