Gender diversity in corporate governance: Organizational implications of regulations for company performance in Italy

Gender gap in the labour market, wages and business top positions significantly persists worldwide, especially in Italy where women are systematically underrepresented. Otherwise, it is interesting to investigate the link between the increasing percentage of women in corporate boards (leadership positions) and the company performance. Most studies analyse if female members in the board of directors are easily “tokens”, who have this positions only because they enjoy a familybond with the entrepreneur or the shareholders. This explorative study investigates the status quo of gender diversity within Italian companies, focusing the attention on the relationship between gender diversity within corporate boards and the corporate performance of Italian