Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/201391 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
DIW Discussion Papers No. 1810
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
We examine the introduction of a gender quota law in Germany, mandating a minimum 30% of the underrepresented gender on the supervisory boards of a particular type of firms. We exploit the fact that Germany has a two-tier corporate system consisting of the affected supervisory boards and unaffected management boards within the same firm. We find a positive effect on the female share on supervisory boards of affected firms, but no effect on presidency of the board or its size. We also study whether the increased female representation has had an effect on the financial performance of the firm and conclude that, unlike some previous studies in other countries, there has not been any negative effect on the profitability of the firm, neither at the time when the law was announced nor when it was passed.
Subjects: 
Gender quota
Economics of gender
Labor discrimination
Personnel economics
Firm performance
JEL: 
J78
J16
M51
L25
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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