An Examination of Gender Diversity and Editorial Boards in Finance

Abstract

Women comprise only 13.7% of individuals holding the rank of full professor in finance. Since publication is a necessary condition for promotion to full professor, we examine possible reasons women publish less than men. Editorial board members determine which manuscripts are published and are the primary gatekeepers setting the course of the future direction of finance research. Thus, diversity in board membership would enhance varying research perspectives, benefitting all in the field. We examine the gender of individuals serving as editors of "pure" finance journals and find women are disproportionately underrepresented across both journal types and editorial positions.