Male CEOs with daughters more likely to hire women: Study

Male CEOs and managers with daughters may be more likely to improve employment opportunities for women in their companies, according to a study published in the Journal of Financial Economics.

The 2017 study, titled “Shaped by Their Daughters: Executives, Female Socialization, and Corporate Social Responsibility,” analysed data on CEOs of major publicly traded US companies from 1992 to 2012.

Researchers Henrik Cronqvist and Frank Yu found that following the birth of a male manager’s first daughter, the relative pay of female employees at his company increased by an average of 4.4 percent. Female employment also rose by about 2.9 percent.

Companies led by CEOs with daughters also recorded higher corporate social responsibility (CSR) ratings, averaging 9.1 percent above the overall average. The differences were particularly evident in areas including workplace diversity, environmental policies and employee relations.

The study also found that medium-sized companies led by CEOs with daughters spent an additional 10.4 percent of annual net income on CSR-related policies and programmes.

The researchers suggested that the findings could be linked to “female socialisation”—the idea that raising a daughter may expose fathers more directly to women’s experiences, opportunities and barriers, potentially influencing their attitudes and decisions at work.

However, the study did not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. It was based on observational data, meaning the findings do not prove that having a daughter caused CEOs to adopt more favourable policies toward women.

Corporate decisions are influenced by numerous factors, including boards, shareholders, economic conditions, government policies and executives’ personal values. The researchers therefore treated daughters as one potential influence rather than a sole explanation for changes in corporate policies.