Date of Award

Spring 2019

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Advisor(s)

Michael Pirson

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationship between female leadership on executive boards and corporate social performance across various industries. The main questions guiding this study include: is there a correlation between female presence on executive boards and higher CSR ratings? Is there a difference between male and female leadership and how this relates to social performance? What is the female influence on the companies that are actively implementing changes? What companies or industries show the greatest progress and implementation efficiency? This paper begins with a thorough introduction of corporate social performance and the overall lack of female leadership in corporations. A literature review is conducted to discuss the characteristics and values of women in business compared to their male counterparts, setting up the gap in research as it pertains to decision-making in CSR. The research design features a correlation analysis and multiple regression tests between the occurrence of females on the board and the composite CSR ratings. The goal of this paper is to identify differences in female and male leadership in how it relates to current social innovation and sustainability efforts by individual companies. Based on prior research and trends, the hypothesis of this empirical study is that there is a positive correlation between female corporate leadership and increased CSP across industries. The conclusions of this research will work to establish the need for women to be more involved in executive decisions to ideally promote new opportunities and add to humanitarian and environmental consciousness in the business world.

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