The effect of board gender diversity on firm performance: evidence from Turkey

Purpose This study aims to include two primary goals. First to determine the board characteristics of listed companies in Turkey and second to investigate the effect of board gender diversity on the performance of these companies. Design/methodology/approach This study uses an instrumental variables regression analysis to investigate the relationship between board gender diversity and firm performance using the data from 2008-2012 of the entities listed on the Borsa Istanbul. Findings The results indicate that the boards of these companies in Turkey are male-dominated. Moreover, this study shows that the inclusion of female directors is positively related to the financial performance of firms, as measured by the return on assets, the return on equity and the return on sales. Originality/value Limited empirical studies have been conducted on the relationship between board gender diversity and firm performance in emerging economies. Therefore, there is still no consensus regarding the link between board gender diversity and firm financial performance based upon the mixed and sometimes contradictory results in prior research. Therefore, this study extends the current literature in the context of Turkey, showing that a female member on the board can enhance the financial performance of a company.