 Walking on the gender tightrope: Unlocking ESG potential through CEOs' dynamic capabilities and strategic board compositionTim Heubeck Business Strategy and the Environment, 2024, vol. 33, issue 3, 2020-2039 Abstract: This study explores the relationship between chief executive officers (CEOs) and the board of directors in the context of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Based on a multi‐theoretical approach, it examines whether dynamic CEO capabilities (DCCs) facilitate ESG performance by enabling capable CEOs to navigate complex stakeholder expectations effectively. Additionally, the impact of board gender diversity (BGD) on this relationship is tested, given its significance for ESG‐related decision‐making. Longitudinal analysis of S&P 900 manufacturing firms demonstrates that strong DCCs positively influence ESG performance, supporting dynamic managerial capabilities and upper echelons theories within the institutional and shareholder theory frameworks. The findings also corroborate that BGD has a moderating effect, initially strengthening the DCC–ESG relationship, in line with gender socialization and diversity theories. However, the study reveals a threshold effect, where ESG benefits from DCCs diminish once BGD reaches approximately 35%, providing a new perspective on critical mass theory. Date: 2024 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:33:y:2024:i:3:p:2020-2039 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Business Strategy and the Environment is currently edited by Richard Welford More articles in Business Strategy and the Environment from Wiley Blackwell |
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