 Gender diversity in top management and its impact on firm-level digital transformation: Evidence from ChinaXingying Wu and Shan Liu Economic Modelling, 2025, vol. 145, issue C Abstract: Despite the growing consensus that gender diversity in top management is a valuable human capital resource, determining whether and how it influences firm-level digital transformation (DT) remains underexplored. Thus, using a sample of A-listed Chinese firms from 2008 to 2020, this study examines the impact of such gender diversity on firms' DT. Based on the findings, gender diversity in top management has a positive impact on firms' DT, with an effect that is more pronounced for firms in the growth lifecycle stage, firms facing greater industry dynamism or institutional gender parity, and nonstate-owned firms. Additionally, the mechanism analysis indicates that this effect is realized by improving digital innovation and alleviating financial constraints. Meanwhile, higher managerial educational level and managerial ability have synergistic effects with gender diversity in enhancing DT. Overall, this study not only contributes to the knowledge regarding the driving factors of firms’ DT, but also provides valuable insights for firms in managing DT efforts in the modern business environment. Keywords: Top management; Gender diversity; Digital transformation; Upper echelons theory; Resource-based theory (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:145:y:2025:i:c:s0264999325000045 DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107009 Access Statistics for this article Economic Modelling is currently edited by S. Hall and P. Pauly More articles in Economic Modelling from Elsevier |
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