Gender diversity in supply base: an empirical investigation

Despite the increasing interest on socially responsible sourcing, many organizations still do not know how to incorporate social issues, such as supplier diversity, in their procurement policies. Based on a survey, this paper investigates the extent of adoption of gender supplier diversity program (GDP), by buying companies. Additionally, we tested the association between six possible enablers and GDP. Our results suggest that less than 15% of the respondents had initiatives on gender diversity. Moreover, our findings identified that clear procurement practices, the perception of benefits in operational performance and a corporate social responsibility program are key factors to improve the participation of women-owned suppliers in the supply base of corporations.