ABSTRACT
Women can create a distinctive workplace climate that differs from that which results from a predominantly macho organisational culture. Internal decision-making can change as a result quite simply of women being around. Women also bring their own perspectives to business problems and can therefore produce specific benefits to an entire business. Very often economic outcomes are dependent, not simply on the person at the top, but also upon internal organisational factors that concern the way a business is run, how it takes decisions and how it treats its employees. One reason why better corporate performance has been expected to follow the appointment of women to the boards of companies is that they change the atmosphere of board meetings and encourage a different kind of decision-making from that known to characterise male-only boards. Thus, gender diversity is a good thing because it promotes diversity of thought processes at the most senior corporate levels.
