Topic: Spillover of Gender Quotas through Global Supply Chains

Speaker: Li Minjia, University of Alberta

Time: December 23, 2024, 10:00

Venue: EMS 206

Abstract:

We investigate the effect of board gender diversity (BGD) interventions in customer countries on their contract relationships with U.S. suppliers, where such interventions are absent. Leveraging staggered BGD interventions across 44 countries, we find that U.S. suppliers with better BGD performance attract more new contracts following the announcement of BGD interventions in customer countries. This effect is mainly driven by enhanced gender awareness in customer countries, rather than pro-social preference associated with higher female representation on customer boards. Furthermore, customer BGD interventions improve supplier BGD performance when suppliers focus on supply chain issues or face intense industry competition. Supplier financial performance also improves, but primarily for those that had appointed female directors before the customer BGD interventions. Our findings emphasize BGD as a critical selection factor for customers in BGD-intervened countries, highlighting the extensive influence of gender diversity policies across borders.

Guest Bio:

Minjia Li is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at University of Alberta. Her research lies at the intersection of ESG, supply chain, political economy etc.