When boards look like women: gender representation and women’s services in China’s social work organizations

Whether board gender composition translates into substantive service actions is an important question for representative bureaucracy theory in non-profit governance. Drawing on this theory, this study uses a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to examine the association between the female board ratio and whether social work organizations offer women’s services. A higher female board ratio is associated with a greater likelihood of offering women’s services, and this association strengthens as the organization’s relationship with the All-China Women’s Federation deepens. Qualitative analysis identifies organizational culture as the key mechanism. The study clarifies the conditions and mechanisms through which representation produces substantive outcomes.