Cristian Deszö of the University of Maryland and David Ross of Columbia wanted to understand how gender representation in top firms correlated with those firms’ performance. They reviewed the size and gender composition of senior management teams across the Standard & Poor’s Composite 1500 list, and then compared that information with financial data. What they found was staggering: “Female representation in top management leads to an increase of $42 million in firm value,” they wrote.
Is there also a phenomenon of bringing in women to lead companies as they head into disaster? Does this lead to greater turnaround opportunities for women leaders? But if so, do they get to stick around long enough to return to glory days, or does a man steal the opportunity away?
