The impact of top management team gender diversity on performance

Based on significance of context, this study investigates a positive top management team (TMT) gender diversity– performance relationship derived from upper echelons theory, and a moderating effect of board gender diversity on the TMT gender diversity–performance relationship derived from structural contingency theory. The hypotheses were tested in 172 organisations listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. This research uses archival data from multiple secondary sources, with a one-year time lag between the predictor and outcome. The findings indicate a positive effect of TMT gender diversity on employee productivity and a strong TMT gender diversity–employee productivity relationship in organisations with a low level of board gender diversity