{"title":"Breaking the TMT glass ceiling: Myth or reality? Female CEOs, decision authority, and family firms","authors":"Paola Rovelli , Marco Mismetti","doi":"10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115324","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Women can bring significant benefits to organizations but continue to face barriers to breaking the glass ceiling at the TMT level. Drawing on the attraction-selection-attrition model and role congruity theory, we examine whether the presence of a female CEO is associated with higher female representation in the TMT and how the CEO’s decision authority influences this relationship. Analyzing survey data from 153 Italian firms, our results confirm a positive relationship between the presence of a female CEO and TMT female representation and a positive moderating effect of the CEO’s decision authority on this relationship. Nevertheless, these effects lose significance in family firms, suggesting that these organizations may be less conducive to promoting gender equality. Our findings contribute to the literature at the intersection of gender, organizational design, and family business.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15123,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Business Research","volume":"192 ","pages":"Article 115324"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Business Research","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829632500147X","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Women can bring significant benefits to organizations but continue to face barriers to breaking the glass ceiling at the TMT level. Drawing on the attraction-selection-attrition model and role congruity theory, we examine whether the presence of a female CEO is associated with higher female representation in the TMT and how the CEO’s decision authority influences this relationship. Analyzing survey data from 153 Italian firms, our results confirm a positive relationship between the presence of a female CEO and TMT female representation and a positive moderating effect of the CEO’s decision authority on this relationship. Nevertheless, these effects lose significance in family firms, suggesting that these organizations may be less conducive to promoting gender equality. Our findings contribute to the literature at the intersection of gender, organizational design, and family business.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Business Research aims to publish research that is rigorous, relevant, and potentially impactful. It examines a wide variety of business decision contexts, processes, and activities, developing insights that are meaningful for theory, practice, and/or society at large. The research is intended to generate meaningful debates in academia and practice, that are thought provoking and have the potential to make a difference to conceptual thinking and/or practice. The Journal is published for a broad range of stakeholders, including scholars, researchers, executives, and policy makers. It aids the application of its research to practical situations and theoretical findings to the reality of the business world as well as to society. The Journal is abstracted and indexed in several databases, including Social Sciences Citation Index, ANBAR, Current Contents, Management Contents, Management Literature in Brief, PsycINFO, Information Service, RePEc, Academic Journal Guide, ABI/Inform, INSPEC, etc.