The path from gender diversity to environmental or social performance: unraveling the contingent role of organizational slacks

Purpose The purpose of this study is to probe the effect of Top Management Team (TMT) gender diversity on firm-level environmental and social performance and the extent to which this relationship is moderated by organizational slack. This study paves the way for an understanding of how gender diversity within TMTs can energize corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes dramatically, considering varying levels of internal strategic resources. Design/methodology/approach The study is conducted following a quantitative methodology, and information is extracted from multiple avenues such as corporate reports publications and sustainability indices. The focus of the study is on TMT gender diversity and the moderating impact of financial and employee slacks on its contributions to CSR. Regression analysis is used to verify the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Findings The results revealed that gender diversity in a TMT is positively associated with environmental and social results at the firm level. Financial slack also improves the positive path of gender diversity on environmental output, while employee slack enhances the positive path of gender diversity in social results. Originality/value The current paper makes a unique contribution to the existing literature by explaining the relationship between TMT gender diversity and CSR performance regarding organizational slack. These findings provide a subtle imposition on how upstream strategic development can synergize diversity and slack resources, suggesting meaningful information for managers interested in capitalizing on diversity within their strategic CSR.