The role of female directors in hotel corporate giving: An inverted U-shaped effect

This study examines and highlights the pivotal role of female directors in shaping hotel corporate giving (HCG) behaviors. By integrating gender socialization theory and agency cost theory, it provides an in-depth analysis of how the presence of female directors influences HCG in the Chinese hotel industry. Dynamic panel regression results demonstrate that the presence of female directors, measured both by percentage (PFD) and number (NFD), positively impacts HCG. This finding aligns with gender socialization theory, suggesting that female directors tend to enhance corporate giving activities. The study further identifies an inverted U-shaped relationship between female directors and HCG. This nonlinear relationship reveals critical threshold values of 30.74% for PFD and 3.39 for NFD. Up to these points, female directors positively influence HCG, supporting gender socialization theory. Beyond these thresholds, their impact becomes negative, aligning with agency cost theory.