The effect of board gender diversity on financial and non-financial performance: evidence from Italian public universities

IMPACT

This article focuses on the value of board diversity in the university context, demonstrating the importance of ensuring that women are represented in top management teams and boards to promote good governance and superior financial performance. The findings should be used to promote gender equality and balance at all political and economic decision-making levels and to stimulate the debate on the reasons for female under-representation. Universities should be mandating a gender quota for their boards to improve overall performance.

ABSTRACT

This article uses a multi-theoretical framework to explore the link between board gender diversity and overall university performance. Results evidence that higher levels of board gender diversity are conducive to better financial performance in the Italian university context. However, female directors must reach a critical mass. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that delves deep into the impact of board gender diversity on universities’ financial and non-financial performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Boards of directors
• corporate governance
• gender diversity
• higher education
• university performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Natalia Aversano

Natalia Aversano is an Associate Professor in Accounting and Financial Reporting at the Department of Management and Innovation Systems of the University of Salerno, Italy, where she teaches financial accounting, management accounting, and non-financial reporting. Her research interests are IPSASs, public sector accounting, heritage assets, university performance measurement systems, intellectual capital, non-financial disclosure, gender diversity, and accounting education. She is a member of the Italian Society of Accounting and Business Economics Professors (SIDREA), the Italian Academy of Business Administration and Management (AIDEA), the European Academy of Management (EURAM), and the European Accounting Association (EAA).

Giuseppe Nicolò

Giuseppe Nicolò is a Senior Lecturer of Accounting at the Department of Management and Innovation Systems of the University of Salerno, Italy, where he teaches financial accounting, business administration and scientific article writing. His research mainly focuses on ESG disclosure, integrated reporting, intellectual capital, corporate governance, state owned-enterprises and university accountability.

Giuseppe is a corresponding member of the Italian Society of Ragioneria and Economia Aziendale (SIDREA) and the European Accounting Association (EAA).

Diana Ferullo

Diana Ferullo is a PhD student in big data management in the Department of Management and Innovation Systems at the University of Salerno, Italy. Her research interests are mainly focused on public sector accounting, performance measurement in healthcare, intellectual capital and non-financial reporting.

Paolo Tartaglia Polcini

Paolo Tartaglia Polcini is Full Professor of Accounting at the University of Salerno, Italy, where he teaches accounting and management accounting. His research interests are university performance measurement, fair value, business combination, intellectual capital and international accounting standards in both the private and public sectors. He is a member of the Italian Society of Accounting and Business Economics Professors (SIDREA) and the Italian Academy of Business Administration and Management (AIDEA).