Drawing on the resource-based perspective, gender self-schema theory and the literature on international business, this study investigates whether female representation on boards affects firm internationalization in an East Asian context.
We test our hypotheses using a balanced panel dataset of 753 publicly listed firms in Taiwan, spanning 14 years (2005–2018).
The findings show female board representation has an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship with firm internationalization. Additionally, this relationship is moderated by firm age and growth opportunity.
This study highlights the drivers of firm internationalization, stresses the importance of female board representation for internationalization and shows the contingent nature of internationalization decision-making in general.
