Purpose Insight from the propositions of resource-based view, upper echelon theory and critical mass theory, this study aims to present a mixed methods exploration of the nexus between board gender diversity and intellectual capital disclosure in the context of an emerging economy, India. Design/methodology/approach The sample for the study is based on 100 randomly selected firms from top 500 listed firms on the Bombay Stock Exchange for 2018–2023. The relevant data are collected from published annual reports and ACE Equity corporate database. The study uses content analysis, using a four-point scaling technique to compute intellectual capital disclosure. Board gender diversity is measured using three proxies – the percentage of female directors, the Blau index and the number of female directors. The empirical analysis uses a two-step system generalized method of moments model in a dynamic setup. Findings The share of women on corporate board and disclosure level of intellectual capital along with its components are still modest in India with mild increase over time. The regression results demonstrate positive influence of gender diversity on the overall intellectual capital disclosure as well as on the components substantiating the theoretical propositions. Additionally, audit committee expertise, CEO duality, sales growth, Tobin’s Q and concentrated ownership positively influence intellectual capital disclosure and its components. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is a novel attempt that enrich the extant literature in the context of emerging nations by providing empirical evidence on the role of women on the disclosure of intellectual capital employing a comprehensive disclosure framework.
Maji et al. (Sat,) studied this question.