Latin America | Gender Diversity
Board gender diversity in Latin America The feminine advantage: an integral vision of strategic risks There is a close relationship between the lack of gender diversity in decision-making positions and the increased risk and conflict with stockholders and stakeholders in an organisation.
In Latin America, where businesses are often subject to distortions and to the absence of regulations that are in place elsewhere, a multidisciplinary and diverse management team is a must. These teams are better prepared to address all potential risks at the time of investment. Research has proven that the participation of women on boards of directors helps to 84 Ethical Boardroom | Summer 2017
Alejandra Mastrangelo
Consultant in Corporate Identity and Governance take into account the voice of all stakeholders. In homogeneous corporate boards, lack of diversity is fertile ground for group thinking, which increases the risk for the organisation. That’s why experts recommend heterogeneous boards.
The female outlook
With regard to gender diversity specifically, studies of numerous disciplines, such as neuroscience, sociology and economics, found that men tend to have a style that is more focussed on the bottom line and on stockholders. Men use the analytical region
of the brain to a greater extent for decision-making. And, given that the region responsible for anxiety is four times smaller in men than in women, men have an innate ability to handle stress more effectively. Women often provide a 360-degree view of the organisation’s strategic risks, are less prone to confrontation and establish valuable relationships that raise levels of awareness and compassion in work teams. Their more collaborative style leads them to build consensus, use empathy and anticipate the impact of short, medium and long-term decisions for all stakeholders. Female brains are wired to facilitate communication between analytical and intuitive processing modes, which equips them with a greater ability to communicate. www.ethicalboardroom.com
