Gender diversity and innovation performance in family firms: Evidence from the Spanish manufacturing industry

Abstract

[Abstract]: This paper, drawing on the upper echelon theory, examines the relationship between the existence and degree of gender diversity in top management teams (TMTs) with firm’s innovation performance, using a sample of 1.808 Spanish manufacturing firms. We follow a two-step multivariate analysis distinguishing between product and process innovation and comparing family and non-family. Our findings show a positive relationship between gender diversity and process innovation, and a U-shaped relationship between the degree of gender diversity and product innovation in family firms, but not in non-family firms.