The Role of Digital Transformation in Bridging the Gender Pay Gap: A Bibliometric Review of Global Trends

Abieyuwa Ohonba and Godswill Osuma ()
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Godswill Osuma: School of Economics, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg

A chapter in Embracing Technological Agility in Accounting and Business – Vol. 3, 2026, pp 353-367 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The gender pay gap remains a persistent global issue, with women consistently earning less than men across industries. Despite decades of advocacy and policy reforms, structural barriers such as occupational segregation, biased hiring and promotion practices, and unequal access to leadership roles continue to hinder wage equity. In response, digital transformation presents a promising avenue for change, offering tools like AI-driven hiring, remote work, and digital upskilling that can enhance workplace inclusivity, improve wage transparency, and expand access to high-paying roles. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric review to examine the role of digital transformation in addressing gender-based wage disparities. Drawing on 1000 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2024, sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection, the analysis utilises VOSviewer to identify key trends, research clusters, collaborative networks, and thematic shifts in the literature. Findings reveal that while high-income countries dominate scholarly contributions, emerging economies remain underrepresented. Keyword co-occurrence analysis highlights “women,” “inequality,” “employment,” and “leadership” as core themes, emphasising the importance of organisational diversity, inclusive policy, and digital access. The study concludes that digital transformation, when paired with gender-sensitive policies and equitable access to digital tools, has the potential to narrow the gender pay gap. Policy recommendations are offered to guide inclusive digital transitions and ensure technology benefits all segments of the workforce.

Keywords: Digital transformation; Gender pay gap; VOSviewer; Wage equity; AI-driven hiring (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-13388-5_24

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-13388-5_24

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