Women on Boards in Family Firms: What We Know and What We Need to Know

Bettinelli, Cristina; Bosco, Barbara Del; Giachino, Chiara

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-77676-7_9

Cited by 19 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…However, according to the negative view of SEW, family-controlling owners who are concerned with displaying the impression of a good corporate citizen but still preserving their influence and control over business decisions will see the board as a mechanism to enforce the family's domination and influence (Oh et al, 2019) and will appoint directors based on their family affiliation and personal connections (Cuadrado-Ballesteros et al, 2015). Family affiliation may therefore facilitate the appointment of women directors (Bettinelli et al, 2019). Being appointed on the basis of family ties, it is possible for the female directors to possess limited competencies and business skills and less ability to work independently.…”

Section: Conceptual Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Being appointed on the basis of family ties, it is possible for the female directors to possess limited competencies and business skills and less ability to work independently. This would also reduce their perception of the importance of CSR-related issues and their knowledge of possible CSR policies (Bettinelli et al, 2019). In contrast, non-family female directors can draw from outside experiences and leverage broader social networks to direct a positive CSR attitude that benefits the firm's reputation (Cuadrado-Ballesteros et al, 2015;Campopiano et al, 2019).…”

Section: Conceptual Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female directors and CSR disclosure in Bangladesh: the role of family affiliation

Biswas

Roberts

Whiting

2021

MEDAR

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Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of female director affiliations to governing families on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in the context of Bangladeshi firms. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative empirical research method grounded in Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) theory. Data was sourced from Bangladeshi publicly listed non-financial sector companies’ annual reports and stock exchange trading and publication reports and consists of 2,637 firm-year observations from 1996 to 2011. Pooled multivariate regression models are used to test the association between corporate social and environmental disclosure and female directors, and the family affiliation (or not) of those directors. Findings The findings provide strong evidence that female directors who are affiliated to the governing family, founders and other board members reduce CSR disclosure in family firms; unaffiliated female board directors enhance CSR disclosure, and this effect is significant in both family and non-family firms. Research limitations/implications Definitions of family firms and affiliated directors may lead to over-generalization in the results. Originality/value The study highlights variation in the nature of female board appointments in emerging market family-controlled firms. The findings bring attention to the role of affiliated female director appointments in family ownership structures and speak directly to family business owners, advisors and policy makers about the importance of unaffiliated female directors as catalysts of improved CSR disclosure in family and non-family firms.

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Section: Conceptual Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female directors and CSR disclosure in Bangladesh: the role of family affiliation

Biswas

Roberts

Whiting

2021

MEDAR

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“…Family connections with the controlling shareholder are conducive to joining the board, especially in small firms with concentrated ownership (Bianco et al, 2015). Indeed, in developed countries, FBs generally have more women on their boards than non-FBs; this is often because female directors are part of the owning family (Bettinelli et al, 2019).…”

Section: Women's Presence In Family Firmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result of this connection, FBs generally have more women on their boards than non-FBs, because female directors are part of the owning family. The main consequence is that they are often selected because of their family ties rather than for their competencies (Bettinelli et al, 2019). However, even if directly involved in the daily operations of the FB, women do not receive recognition for their contribution, neither with a formal position in the company nor for a salary and, in short, they do not receive the same consideration as their male relatives within the enterprise due to the motivation for their selection (Hollander and Bukowitz, 1990).…”

Section: Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family firms, women, and innovation

Bannò

Coller²,

D’Allura³

2021

Sinergie Italian Journal of Management

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Frame of the research: We aim to inform family business literature and family business managers on the effect to include women as managers by providing empirical evidence on their impact on innovation.Purpose of the paper: The paper investigates the impact of female directors on innovation in Family Businesses (FBs). We assume that the presence of women, due to recent generations with the presence of daughters or due to marriages involving third parties, could be more common than in non-FBs.Methodology: We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 755 Italian FBs through a count data model.Findings: Our findings show how and when the invisible women became visible and their effect on innovation performance. Prejudice against women in FBs is detrimental to innovation; however, both the presence of female family members in control positions and the presence of a critical mass helps to mitigate the effect of prejudice on innovation.Research limits: The sample is limited to Italian firms only. The social dynamics and the role of women in the entrepreneurial arena are strongly influenced by the institutional system in which the firm operates.Practical implications: Our findings will be relevant to family business owners and managers with regard to their innovation strategy. A greater understanding of the relationship between female directors and innovation may contribute to increasing the number of women in these important roles.Originality of the paper: We extend our understanding of the effects on innovation of the involvement of female family members on the board of directors. We discuss the invisibility of female family members. We enhance our growing knowledge on female directors in family businesses by studying women's roles as president or vice president, in relation to innovation.

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“…In family businesses, female directors tend to be selected because they are part of the family (Sheridan & Milgate, 2005) rather than because of experience or education -which tends to be lower than that of women in nonfamily businesses (Bianco et al, 2015;Nekhili & Gatfaoui, 2013). As a result, the performance of family business boards can suffer unless they raise the experience and education requirements for female directors (Bettinelli et al, 2019).…”

Section: Gender Quotas Matter Most When Based On Competenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women Can Help Their Family Businesses Navigate Crisis

Labaki¹

2020

EIX

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Women can be indispensable in times of trouble, but the glass ceiling and the glass cliff still hold them back, even at family firms. Seven things to think about. Crisis is part of every organization's life cycle. Many organizations are realizing that strategies that include women will help them navigate trying times. Which ones will most help family businesses harness the power of women to safely reaching the shore? From breaking the glass ceiling … Gender balance laws are helping more women become directors and leaders, but the gender gap remains wide. In fact, the Global Gender Report 2020 of the World Economic Forum predicts another 100 years before gender equality is achieved. The 2020 EU Gender Equality Index noted that gender inequalities are most worrying in positions of power across the political, economic and social spheres.

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Women on Boards in Family Firms: What We Know and What We Need to Know

Cited by 19 publications

References 97 publications

Female directors and CSR disclosure in Bangladesh: the role of family affiliation

Female directors and CSR disclosure in Bangladesh: the role of family affiliation

Family firms, women, and innovation

Women Can Help Their Family Businesses Navigate Crisis

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