Gender Diversity in Leadership Teams and Organizational Performance : A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: The share of women in leadership positions is increasing in Western societies. However, theoretical and empirical findings on the performance consequences of gender diversity in leadership teams are inconsistent. By reviewing extant research, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how and depending on which contingency factors gender diversity in leadership teams is related to organizational performance.Design/Methodology: Using data from 10,664 leadership teams across 38 studies, we meta-analyze the relationship between gender diversity in leadership teams and organizational performance. Moreover, sub-group analyses are conducted to examine whether contextual factors (team size, industry, cultural context, performance measure) moderate the relationship.Results: No significant association can be identified between gender diversity and organizational performance. Moreover, none of the investigated moderators turns out to be significant.Limitations: Restrictions in data availability limited our ability to analyze additional contextual factors and mediating processes.Research/Practical Implications: An agenda for future research is provided, including a call for moderator and mediator testing, as well as the examination of faultlines and deep-level differences in gender diverse leadership teams. For practitioners, the results have two major implications: First, the notion that gender diversity in leadership teams promotes organizational performance cannot be unequivocally supported by extant research. Second, too little is known yet about the relevance of contextual factors to formulate evidence-based recommendations on how to leverage the positive potential of gender diversity in leadership teams.Originality/Value: This study is the first to meta-analytically examine the association between gender diversity in leadership teams and organizational performance.