How robust is the link between gender and corruption: Evidence from firm-level panel data

Cross-sectional firm-level studies have found firms report paying fewer and lower bribes when women hold leadership roles. However, unobserved factors might affect who controls a company and how vulnerable the company is to pressure from corrupt bureaucrats. To evaluate whether earlier findings are robust to controlling for these unobserved factors, we use panel data and include firm-level fixed effects. While doing so weakens the link between gender and corruption, some results stay statistically significant. The study's most robust results, however, are for respondents, an unexpected finding given that managers and owners should have greater influence over corporate conduct.