Board gender diversity heterogeneity and sustainability: a systematic literature review on multi-dimensional board diversity

Purpose This systematic review examines how within-gender heterogeneity in board gender diversity, variation in female directors' observable and underlying attributes, relates to corporate sustainability outcomes, captured as ESG performance and ESG reporting. Design/methodology/approach Guided by stakeholder–agency theory and an adapted Milliken and Martins' (1996) framework, we systematically searched EBSCO Business Source Complete and Web of Science. We included 70 English-language, peer-reviewed archival studies that operationalise board gender diversity through multiple female-directors attributes and report associations with ESG performance and ESG reporting. We synthesise findings using vote counting and report simple summary statistics for the most frequently studied attributes. Findings Evidence is most consistent for female non-executive directors, who are robustly associated with stronger ESG performance across governance systems and regulatory settings. Results for female executive directors are more context-dependent and frequently mixed. For other heterogeneity dimensions, the evidence base remains comparatively thin and inconclusive, particularly for ESG reporting, reflecting both limited study volume and measurement heterogeneity. Practical implications Boards and regulators should treat gender diversity as a multi-attributed governance resource rather than a headcount metric. Emphasis on the composition and authority of female directors appears most consequential for sustainability performance, while disclosure-related effects require more consistent measurement and stronger identification. Originality/value This review's contribution lies in systematically operationalising and coding within-gender heterogeneity by separating observable from underlying attributes and mapping them distinctly to ESG performance versus ESG reporting, thereby clarifying where evidence is comparatively consistent and where key gaps remain.