The effects of female chief executive officers on corporate social responsibility

This study examines the effects of female chief executive officers (CEOs) on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Random-effects models and Poisson models were used to test female CEOs' effects on overall CSR commitment and the different CSR types. Empirical analyses on 2166 US companies revealed that female CEOs had significant effects on CSR. Specifically, the companies led by female CEOs had an active overall CSR participation, but their effects differed by CSR type. Further, when the relative power of the board of directors was high, the positive effects of female CEOs on the social activities of institutional stakeholders were weakened.