Women’s board presence and firm performance: Evidence from a sample of Italian listed companies

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between the presence of women on the board of directors and the performance results achieved by a sample of listed companies on the Italian stock market. Although many studies have investigated the relationship between women on board and corporate governance effectiveness, research results are inconclusive regarding their impact on corporate performance. The article analyzes a set of board attributes in relation to the presence of women on the board for 47 Italian listed companies for the years 2018 and 2019. Preliminary results show a positive correlation between the participation of women on the board of directors and sampled companies’ performance. Therefore, the results confirm the importance of women’s presence on the board of directors in influencing the financial performance of companies