Is corruption a determinant of the effectiveness of gender diversity in business management? Application to co-operative banks

Abstract

This work is an extension of the literature that studies the relationship between gender diversity in the managerial posts and business profitability. It aims to advance beyond the measurement of a possible direct relationship between both variables in financial entities, applying the institutional theory. In particular, it focus in the senior executive team of Spanish credit cooperatives. The gender effect over the profitability of these entities will be evaluated through the relationship with their partners and with the level of indebtedness, including as a new variable the corruption of the environment as a possible conditioning factor. Such scope is novel with regard to existing research, characterized by focusing mainly on a direct relationship and for not taking into account the institutional context, indicating the need to focus on possible indirect influence and on institutions as quality determinants of business management. To carry out the analysis, dynamic equations will be estimated, treating endogeneity using the Generalized Method of Moments (MGM). The findings confirm the indirect influence of gender measures on profitability, which results enhanced when the level of corruption in the environment is lower.