Female Managers and Corruption in SMEs: A Comparison Between Family and Nonfamily SMEs in Vietnam

Abstract

Empirical evidence, regarding the impacts of female leadership on firm’s corrupt level, is lack of studies in various research context. The objective of this study is to assess whether female managers impact negatively or positively on the corrupt behavior of family SMEs (household business) and nonfamily SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). To do that, this paper used regressions, taken from a sample of 1,720 Vietnamese SMEs (based on the survey data of UNU-WIDER), to compare the impact of female percentage in management board in family and nonfamily businesses in reducing the level of corruption of the firms for the period 2011 to 2015.The findings indicated that first, drawing on socioemotional wealth theory and Vietnam context, family SMEs (household businesses) are more likely to engage in corruption. Second, we also found that female participant in management team can promote firms to be less involved in unethical practices such as bribe. However, the positive role of female managers in reducing corruption engagement is moderated by family control. We used upper echelon theory to suggest that female managers tend to have less managerial discretion in family-controlled organizations. This study has practical contributions, especially for policymakers and owners of household businesses.

Shaping a sustainable future: The impact of board gender diversity on clean energy use and the moderating role of environmental, social and governance controversies

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Getting There with Gender Equality in the Namibian Enterprises, but Questioning Empowerment

“…Corruption happens in enterprises, but enterprises also play a crucial role in much of the corruption that occurs in society, and they are also essential contexts for corruption themselves [43]. Some studies have linked gender and corruption, for instance, the perceptions about corruption by the female managers and owners of firms [44], the impact of corruption on applying for credit between female and male entrepreneurs [45], gender differences in enterprise-level bribery [46], women's moral standards and bribing [47], corruption in family SMEs and nonfamily SMEs [48], corrupt institutional environment and public subsidies for credit access by SMEs helmed by female entrepreneurs [49], the gendered effects of corruption on credit access and credit constraints [47], and gender and bribe paying [50]. As women form a considerable proportion of the informal sector, which is highly contaminated by corruption, there is a greater likelihood that they are under constant pressure to yield to corruption [51].…”

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