Gender diversity in supply base: an empirical investigation

Abstract

Despite the increasing interest in socially responsible sourcing, many organizations still do not know how to incorporate social issues into their procurement policies. Based on a survey, in this paper we investigated the extent of adoption of gender supplier diversity program (GDP), by buying companies, and tested the association between six possible enablers and GDP. Our results identified that less than 15% of respondents had initiatives on gender diversity. Additionally, adoption of GPD is improved based on three key factors: clear procurement practices, perception of benefits in operational performance, and a corporate social responsibility program.