Journal article · 2025

Editorial boards of finance journals: The gender gap and social networks

Będowska-Sójka, B., Tarantola, C., Mare, C., Paccagnini, A., Öztürkkal, B., Pisoni, G., Shala, A., Perri, R., Skaftadóttir, H.K.

Journal of Business Ethics, 200(3), 669–687

DOI: 10.1007/s10551-024-05830-9

Abstract

We investigate gender disparities and network linkages among editors of Finance journals at the end of 2022. The role of journal editors in shaping academic disciplines is crucial, yet gender imbalances and the geographic concentration of editors remain poorly understood. Ethical considerations arise when examining the representation of women on editorial boards, as these imbalances can impact academic equity and the diversity of perspectives. We examine the gender composition of editorial boards and uncover the network structures among editors, seeking to shed light on the concentration of editorial power and its implications for diversity and inclusion. Our findings reveal that women account for an average of 20% of all editors, with notable variations across countries. Additionally, editorial affiliations are heavily concentrated in the United States and the United Kingdom. Through typological metrics, we identify highly connected editors with significant board memberships. While gender ratios remain consistent in substructures involving highly central editors or those serving on multiple boards, men consistently outnumber women.

Keywords: gender gap, editorial boards, finance journals, women in academia, social network analysis, academic gatekeeping, diversity and inclusion, centrality

Full text: see the publisher version via DOI.

Research topics: Gender and networks in academic publishing

Funding

Presented at

Editorial Boards of Finance Journals: The Gender Gap and Social Networks

Closing the Gender Gap in Kosovo, University of Prishtina and UN Women Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo, May 2024

Editorial Boards of Finance Journals: The Gender Gap and Social Networks

Gender Equality and Women's Economic Empowerment Conference, International School of Economics at TSU (ISET), Tbilisi, Georgia, October 2023

Conference website

Woman Editors in Finance Journals

Women in Fintech III, COST Action CA19130, Coimbra, Portugal, June 2023

Editorial Boards of Finance Journals: Gender and Social Connectedness

Women in FinTech, COST Action CA19130 Conference, University of Tirana, Albania, September 2022

Cite

@article{jbe2025_editorialboards,
  title = {Editorial boards of finance journals: The gender gap and social networks},
  author = {Będowska-Sójka, B. and Tarantola, C. and Mare, C. and Paccagnini, A. and Öztürkkal, B. and Pisoni, G. and Shala, A. and Perri, R. and Skaftadóttir, H.K.},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {Journal of Business Ethics},
  note = {200(3), 669–687},
  doi = {10.1007/s10551-024-05830-9}
}