Corporate family responsibility: influence of female workforce and impact on performance

Purpose This study examines how workforce gender composition contributes to the development of corporate family responsibility (CFR) and how CFR relates to firm performance. From a diversity and inclusion perspective, it shifts the focus from isolated work–family practices and direct demographic effects to the internal organizational mechanisms through which work–family responsibility becomes institutionalized. Design/methodology/approach The study combines survey data from Spanish organizations with archival financial data. Corporate Family Responsibility is operationalized as an internal organizational mechanism comprising managerial involvement, work–family culture, and policy accessibility. A mediation framework is tested using ordinary least squares regression and bootstrapped mediation analyses to examine the indirect relationship between workforce gender composition, CFR, and firm performance. Findings The results show that a higher representation of women in the workforce is positively associated with the development of Corporate Family Responsibility. While the effects of CFR on firm performance are not uniform, CFR is positively associated with organizational viability, measured through working capital to sales. Bootstrapped mediation analyses further indicate that CFR functions as an internal organizational mechanism linking workforce gender composition to organizational viability. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by the cross-sectional measurement of CFR and the use of pre-existing survey data, which may introduce response bias and constrain causal interpretation. Nonetheless, the findings have important implications for managers and policymakers, highlighting the role of workforce gender composition and internal organizational mechanisms in fostering inclusive and responsible organizational practices. Future research could explore the longitudinal development and effects of CFR and examine its influence across different organizational and institutional contexts. Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of complementing formal work–family policies with managerial involvement and a supportive organizational culture in order to sustain work–family responsibility over time. Originality/value The study contributes to research on gender, work–family responsibility, and corporate social responsibility by conceptualizing CFR as a distinct internal organizational mechanism of inclusion through which workforce composition can be translated into institutionalized responsible practices and subsequent organizational outcomes.