Does board gender diversity affect corporate reputation? Evidence from Italy's most reputable companies

The purpose of this article is to analyze if female presence in boards of directors affects firms’ corporate reputation, as a form of CSR. The under-representation of women on boardrooms is a heavy discussed topic, not only in Italy. Based on a critical mass theory and with 149 observations taken from a sample of Italian most reputable companies, from 2012 to 2014, we find that a higher percentage of female members in boardrooms tends to positively affect the level of corporate reputation (considered as a form of corporate social responsibility).