The effect of board gender diversity on firm performance in the Netherlands.

This study examines the effect of board gender diversity on firm performance of Dutch firms listed on the Euronext Amsterdam in the period between 2010 and 2019. In this paper a positive relationship between board gender diversity and the accounting-based indicators of firm performance, as measured through the return on assets, return on equity and the return on sales, is documented. Moreover, it is documented that having a critical mass of female directors is positively related to the accounting-based indicators of firm performance. In the meanwhile, a negative relationship has been found between board gender diversity and the market-based indicators of firm performance, as measured through Tobin’s Q. This study offers useful insights into the current global debate on gender diversity and its implications for firms and contributes to the limited Dutch gender diversity literature.