Toward a multidimensional theory of person-environment fit

Abstract

This study examines the proposition that the presence of women on a company's board of directors is positively associated with gender diversity in its top management team. Regression analyses indicate that after controlling for firm size and profits, industry type and profits, number of officers, and number of board members, the number of women corporate directors on a Fortune 500 board is positively associated with the number of women officers at the company, the number of women officers holding line jobs, the presence of a critical mass of women officers, the number of women officers with high-ranking or "clout" titles, and the presence of women among the company's top earners. These results indicate the importance of women board members for top management team diversity, and suggest that companies striving for increased gender diversity in their senior officer ranks and more facilitative environments for their top women employees should pay attention to their board-level representation of women. Show more