Men and women as board directors of the most successful companies in the USA: Is there any connection with organizational performance?

Abstract

There are no clear studies that explain whether there is a relationship, but many authors point out advantages of having female participation in boards of directors; Catalyst (1995) states that increasing diversity, there is a plurality of opinions in the boardroom; and Bilimoria (2006) states that women deliver the best strategies and ensure better behavior at meetings. Likewise, Kuczynski (1999), said that a more diverse boardroom can handle problems between members better and it can lead to better decisions, so it is seen as a less risky company, therefore, it is expected that the presence of women improve organizational performance.
This study aims to identify the participation of women on the boards of directors of 60 companies in Fortune 500 in 2014 (Fortune, 2014). A qualitative Logit regression was applied in order to establish a relationship between gender
diversity in directive boards and the company’s performance.
The participation of women in American companies has increased; however, numbers remain low compared to men because, on average a board of directors has 11 members, and on average 9 are men and 2 are women. There are companies that do not include women in the boardroom. In this research, we conclude that gender is not a significant statistical variable involved in the performance of a company.