Business Commons^™

Shifting Perspectives: How Scrutiny Shapes The Relationship Between Ceo Gender And Acquisition Activity, Daniel L. Gamache, Cynthia E. Devers, Felice B. Klein, Timothy Hannigan

Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research Summary: Several upper echelons studies have found that firms led by female executives are less likely to engage in risky endeavors than those led by male top executives. We argue that conceptualizing female CEOs as universally conservative decision-makers may paint too simplistic a picture and that the impact of CEO gender on strategic decision-making may vary significantly depending on the given situation CEOs are experiencing. We integrate executive job demands and gender research to propose that scrutiny will exhibit differential effects on female and male CEOs' acquisition activity. We show that in high-scrutiny contexts, the difference between male and …