LEADERSHIP THAT DELIVERS: HOW WOMEN EXECUTIVES SHAPE GENDER EQUALITY IN ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

This study examines the impact of women in leadership roles on the adoption of Gender Equality Management Systems (GEMS) in Canadian organizations, focusing on three policy bundles: gender-equality practices, work-life balance initiatives, and domestic violence support, while exploring the moderating role of CEO gender. Drawing on social role theory and utilizing a longitudinal dataset of 5,800 firms from 2015 to 2022, the research employs fixed-effects panel regression, instrumental variable techniques, and sectoral analysis to address endogeneity and contextual heterogeneity. Results reveal that women in top management teams (TMTs) significantly enhance all GEMS components, with the most potent effects on work-life policies (β = 0.22, p < 0.001). Female CEOs amplify these effects for formal gender-equality measures (interaction β = 0.19, p < 0.01) but exhibit independent influence on domestic violence policies (β = 0.25, p < 0.05). Sectoral analysis highlights pronounced impacts in healthcare and financial services, contrasted with limited effects in male-dominated industries like natural resources. Nonlinear models identify diminishing returns beyond 30% female TMT representation, while dynamic analyses show policy impacts accumulate over 2–3 years. The study underscores the importance of regulatory environments, with provincial equity laws significantly predicting GEMS adoption (β = 0.27–0.33, p < 0.001). These findings refine social role theory by demonstrating that women leaders’ influence is (1) policy-specific, (2) contingent on positional power and institutional contexts, and (3) temporally phased. Practical implications emphasize the need for coordinated strategies combining leadership diversity, CEO accountability, and regulatory support to achieve systemic gender equity. Limitations include intersectional data gaps and a Canadian focus, suggesting future research should explore cross-national comparisons and identity intersections. The study advances evidence that gender-diverse leadership drives organizational change but requires enabling ecosystems to sustain impact.