Female board participation and firm's financial performance: a panel study from a Latin American economy

Purpose This study aims to elucidate the relationship between women's participation on the board of directors and the company's financial performance in a sample of 45 Colombian companies listed on the Colombia Stock Exchange (CSE) (Bolsa de Valores de Colombia). Design/methodology/approach Using 50,214 financial records of 45 companies listed on the CSE during 2008-2016, the authors performed panel data regressions to explore the relationship between the measures of gender diversity on boards and the impact on corporate financial performance. Findings The authors show that the participation and presence of at least one woman on the board of directors are positively associated with firm financial performance as measured by return on equity (ROE), but not as measured by Tobin's Q. This second indicator is positively associated with firm financial performance when there are at least three female directors on boards of 10 or more individuals. Practical implications The findings also provide evidence supporting the development of managerial and organizational mechanisms that strengthen female presence at the highest level of governance. Originality/value The study demonstrates that female presence on boards has a positive impact on firms' financial performance, but the degree of diversity impacts differently ROE and Tobin's Q. These findings are based on a study of an emerging economy in Latin America, and data on similar economies are scarce.