Gender Diversity in Leadership Impact on Productivity in Developed Countries

Gender diversity in leadership remains a challenge despite its potential to enhance decision-making, innovation, and productivity. Research shows gender-diverse teams enhance corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee engagement, but meaningful impact depends on women holding decision-making roles. Companies with gender-diverse top management experience a 15% increase in productivity (Ali et al., 2024). However, board gender diversity alone is insufficient unless female leadership reaches at least 30% (Meliá-Martí et al., 2024). During crises, inclusive leadership structures improve organizational resilience by 20% (Cartwright et al., 2023). Despite these benefits, women hold only 28% of senior leadership roles in developed countries (Petersson et al., 2017). Systemic barriers, including unconscious bias and rigid corporate structures, continue to hinder progress. This study is a systematic review of the literature, identifying key themes such as CSR, crisis leadership, and inclusive decision-making. Future research can explore how gender diversity interacts with racial, generational, and socioeconomic diversity to influence leadership and productivity. A quantitative study can measure the impact of these diversity factors on workplace performance, while a qualitative study can examine female leaders’ experiences in organizations with varying levels of diversity.