Women directors and cost efficiency

Anastasia Litina (), Luca J. Uberti () and Skerdilajda Zanaj ()
Additional contact information
Luca J. Uberti: Department of Economics (DEMS) at the University of Milano-Bicocca., https://www.lucajuberti.com/
Skerdilajda Zanaj: DEM, University of Luxembourg, https://sites.google.com/site/skerdilajdazanaj/home

Discussion Paper Series from Department of Economics, University of Macedonia

Abstract: In an era where gender norms vary widely and quite frequently hint to gender inequality in the labor market, previous studies have shown that higher gender diversity is associated with better economic outcomes. Using a novel dataset that provides granular data at the firm level, we test this hypothesis in the context of gold mining companies. We concentrate on a relatively overlooked aspect, namely cost efficiency, and study whether a larger number of women directors is associated with more efficient use of a company’s resources. We use a stochastic frontier methodology to estimate the cost-efficiency of gold mines for a representative sample of global mining companies. Using fixed-effects and instrumental-variable regressions, we find that an increase in female representation on the parent company’s board translates into significant efficiency gains for the mining operations controlled by the parent company. Specifically, a one standard-deviation increase in the share of female directors increases cost-efficiency by 12 percent of a standard deviation of our main efficiency index. This finding is robust to using alternative instruments for female representation, alternative stochastic-frontier methodologies, and different specifications of the main estimating equation. Interestingly, the efficiency gains induced by female directors do not necessarily improve the overall performance of the company as measured by accounting profitability. Yet, cost efficiency is associated with higher cost-sustainability and long-term viability of a firm, thereby rendering it more resilient. This hints that the underlying mechanism is consistent with evidence that suggests that women directors exert a higher monitoring and audit effort than their male counterparts. Our results provide additional evidence of a distinctly female style in corporate leadership and shed light to different aspects of a firm’s productivity. Understanding differences in styles of leadership, allows policy makers to implement more inclusive policies in the labor market and firms to endorse diversity in leadership. This ultimately can lead to more inclusive norms in the labor market.

Keywords: Gender; Boards of directors; Cost efficiency; Stochastic Frontier Analysis; Mining (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D22 D24 G39 M14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-09, Revised 2024-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-acc, nep-cfn and nep-eff
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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http://econwp.uom.gr/pdf/dp092024.pdf

Related works:
Working Paper: Women Directors and Cost Efficiency (2023)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mcd:mcddps:2024_09

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