Board gender diversity in municipally owned corporations: A resource dependence perspective

Andrews, Rhys ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1904-9819 2024. Board gender diversity in municipally owned corporations: A resource dependence perspective. International Review of Administrative Sciences 10.1177/00208523241264549

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Abstract

The increasing use of municipally owned corporations (MOCs) to provide vital public services has drawn attention to the representation of women on MOC boards of directors. Resource dependency theory suggests that board composition is likely to be shaped by linkages to critical resources within an organization's environment. This paper presents an analysis of the organizational determinants of board gender diversity in 802 MOCs in England and Wales for the period 2009–2019. The findings suggest that public ownership, nonprofit legal form, board size and a human services focus are positively related to board gender diversity, but that inter-municipal ownership and a technical services focus are all negatively related to such diversity. The findings highlight the impact that organizational characteristics associated with critical resource dependencies can have on gender equality (GE) in corporatized public services. Points for practitioners Evidence on the determinants of gender board diversity in MOCs can help policy-makers to understand the role that organizational characteristics play in shaping GE within corporatized public services. This paper highlights that the ownership structure, board size and legal form of MOCs all affect the prevalence of women directors on MOC boards. It is also important to recognize how service area can influence GE on MOC boards.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
ISSN:	0020-8523
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 June 2024
Date of Acceptance:	7 June 2024
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2024 09:02
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/169634

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