Title: Workforce gender diversity and corporate performance - evidence from Tunisian companies

Authors: Imen Mhamid; Khaoula Aliani; Ghousia Khatoon

Addresses: Higher Institute of Business Administration, University of Gafsa, Tunisia ' Business Administration Department, College of Business Administration, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, KSA ' Westline College, Bangalore, India

Abstract: Gender diversity is equitable or fair representation of people of different genders. Gender diversity, as it relates to a work environment system, means that men and women are hired at the same rate, paid equally for equal work, and promoted at the same rate. The study conducted by McKinsey & Company titled 'Woman Matter' suggests that the companies where woman are most strongly represented at the level of top management may perform better. The objective of this paper is two-fold. First, we aim at understanding the impact of the feminisation of the lowest ranks of the company on the performance. Secondly, we focus on analysing the relationship between the disclosure of the feminine values at the lowest ranks and the performance. Based on a sample composed of 209 unlisted Tunisian companies, the empirical analysis indicates that the existence of the female values at the lowest echelons influences positively and significantly the operating profit of the Tunisian companies.

Keywords: diversity; gender; workforce; corporate performance; generalised method of moments; GMMs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2021.113417

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2021 Vol.15 No.2, pp.214 - 226

Received: 29 Aug 2019
Accepted: 03 Sep 2019

Published online: 04 Mar 2021 *

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