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Empowering Women on Boards: Gender Quotas and Waste Generation

Author

Listed:
  • Hind Naouar
  • Faten Lakhal

Abstract

With the growing emphasis on sustainability in corporate governance, implementing quotas to increase gender diversity on boards has attracted attention because of its potential to promote more responsible environmental practices, including waste management. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of gender quotas in the boardroom on waste generation for a sample of European listed companies from 2011 to 2021. Based on critical mass and institutional theory perspectives, the results show that gender quotas on boards have a significant negative effect on waste generation. This negative effect increases in countries with binding quotas, suggesting that firms operating in countries with binding gender quotas capitalize on the potential for improved environmental outcomes. Further results show that the negative relationship between gender quotas and waste generation is more prevalent following the Paris Agreement on climate change and the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, in firms with corporate social responsibility (CSR) committees and in firms operating in manufacturing industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Hind Naouar & Faten Lakhal, 2026. "Empowering Women on Boards: Gender Quotas and Waste Generation," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 1210-1226, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:33:y:2026:i:4:p:1210-1226
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.70112
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    References listed on IDEAS

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