The moderating role of women directors in politically connected companies on the performance of Iberian companies

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of political connections and gender diversity on the performance of Iberian companies as a singular market and considering Portugal and Spain separately. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used panel data methodology, specifically GMM system estimation model by Arellano and Bond (1991) for the period from 2015 to 2020. Findings – Results show that the performance of listed Iberian companies is influenced by political connections, by gender diversity and that gender diversity has amitigating effect on the effects of political connections in each country. Themitigating effect ofwomen is evident in both Portugal and Spain, as they aremore cautious and principled,which is valued by short-term investors interested in an immediate investment. However, considering the Iberian Peninsula as a whole, the results indicate that – in the long term – women’s political relationships can benefit performance through a better reputation and image, which can lead to better social and economic results in the long term. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is original and covers an important gap in the literature when considering political connections and women’s impact on these connections as determinants of the performance of Iberian companies.