Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Cogent Business and Management

Publication Date

7-14-2026

Abstract

This study examines whether executive gender diversity is associated with gender pay inequality in UK firms. Although prior research has extensively examined board diversity, less is known about whether gender diversity within executive leadership teams is linked to differences in pay inequality across firms. Using a panel of FTSE 350 non-financial firms from 2017 to 2023 and mandatory UK gender pay gap disclosures, we estimate regression models to examine the relationship between the proportion of female executives and the gender pay gap. The findings show that greater executive gender diversity is significantly associated with lower gender pay inequality. In contrast, a higher proportion of women in the overall workforce is associated with wider pay gaps, consistent with occupational segregation and unequal access to higher-paid roles. Additional analyses indicate that the negative association between executive gender diversity and pay inequality is stronger among firms with higher levels of female executive representation and among firms with greater baseline inequality. These findings contribute to the literature by linking executive-level diversity to pay outcomes within firms and by extending understanding of how leadership composition is associated with organisational inequality. The study also offers practical implications for firms, regulators, and policymakers seeking to reduce gender pay disparities through leadership and governance reforms.

ISSN

2331-1975

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Volume

13

Issue

1

Disciplines

Business

Keywords

corporate governance, Executive gender diversity, gender pay gap, gender pay inequality, leadership diversity, UK firms

Scopus ID

105045113013

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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Business Commons

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